Sourdough Lemon Blueberry Muffins

Key Ingredients for Sourdough Lemon Blueberry Muffins

Sourdough

This is a great recipe for using up extra discard and adding tasty sourdough flavor to a classic combo like lemon and blueberries. Active starter will also work for this recipe.

Flour

For this recipe, I use organic, unbleached all-purpose flour. To ensure accurate flour measurements, use a spoon to add the flour to your measuring cup and level it off with a flat edge, like the back of a butterknife.

Baking Powder

Helps to give the muffins a high rise.

Salt

Salt helps to preserve the flavor and prevent staleness.

Sugar

Sugar helps to keep baked goods soft and moist while adding sweetness.

Eggs

Fresh eggs help not only add flavor and moisture but also help create structure and stability within the batter.

Unsalted Butter

We love the richness that real butter adds to baked goods. Using high-quality butter helps the muffins to have a firmer texture. If you are dairy-free, butter can be replaced with a neutral oil like olive oil or avocado oil. Keep in mind that using oil may cause the batter to be thin and runny.

Lemon Zest

To ensure we’re getting that lemon flavor in every bite, we are adding it wherever we can. Lemon zest contains lemon oil, which is where you’ll find the most flavor. When using the grater, you want to stop when you reach the white pith. This has a very bitter taste, and we definitely don’t want that in our muffins! I typically do two scrubs against the grater then move the fruit slightly to get more zest.

Lemon Extract

I absolutely love my homemade lemon extract and will likely never return to the store-bought version again! Homemade extracts offer a cleaner flavor, meaning they don’t taste artificial like the common store brands. They are also really affordable to make and easy to customize. If you don’t have lemon extract on hand, vanilla will do just fine.

Helpful Tips

Coating the blueberries in a couple of tablespoons of flour will help the berries keep from sinking to the bottom of your batter. If you’re using frozen blueberries, this trick will also help the berries from bleeding their color into the batter.

What’s the Difference Between a Muffin and a Cupcake?

You’ll find that texture is the primary difference between muffins and cupcakes. While cupcakes are typically lighter and fluffier, muffins have a moister and denser consistency.

Ingredients

1 cup sourdough (active or discard)
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted
2 large eggs
1/2 cup milk
1 teaspoon lemon extract
2 Tablespoons lemon zest, freshly grated
1 Tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries

Streusel Topping:

1/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 Tablespoons granulated sugar
2 Tablespoons butter, softened

Directions

Preheat oven to 375°F.

Prepare a 24-cup muffin tin with non-stick spray or baking liners.

In a large mixing bowl, combine the 1 cup of sourdough discard, ½ cup of unsalted melted butter, and 1 cup of sugar. Mix well.

Add the 2 large eggs into the mixture, then pour in the ½ cup of milk and 1 teaspoon of lemon extract. Stir everything together until it’s all smoothly combined.

In medium bowl, whisk together the 2 cups of all-purpose flour, 1 Tablespoon of baking powder, and ½ teaspoon of salt.

Gradually mix the dry ingredients into the wet mixture, about ¼ cup at a time. Stir gently, until the ingredients are combined.

Gently fold in the blueberries. If you’re using frozen blueberries, there is no need to thaw them first. Just be careful not to squish them too much!

Make the Streusel Topping

In a medium bowl, combine the ¼ cup all-purpose flour, 2 Tablespoons of sugar, and 2 Tablespoons of softened butter in a small bowl. Mix with a fork until it looks crumbly. Set aside.

Carefully divide the batter evenly among the muffin cups, filling each about two-thirds full.

Top each filled muffin cup with a few pinches of the streusel topping.

Bake for approximately 20-25 minutes or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean.

Remove from the oven and allow them to cool in the pan for approximately 5-10 minutes.

Carefully remove the muffins from the pan and place them on a wire cooling rack to cool

completely.

How to Store Sourdough Lemon Blueberry Muffins

Muffins can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.

How to Freeze Sourdough Lemon Blueberry Muffins

Place prepared muffins on a cookie sheet and place them uncovered in the freezer for approximately 1 hour. Remove from the freezer and place the frozen muffins in a freezer-safe storage bag for up to 3 months.

To thaw, simply remove the desired amount of muffins from the freezer-safe storage bag and place on a plate. Allow to thaw at room temperature for about 20 minutes or reheat from frozen in the microwave for approximately 2 minutes.

Want to help a small family business in a big way? Share this recipe with someone who loves delicious homemade food!

Did you know that we have a newsletter? It features some of our favorite recipes and free printables that are only available to our subscribers! And don’t worry, we hate spam mail and value your time. You’ll receive an initial thank you email, and our newsletter is delivered monthly. You can help our small family business by sharing us on Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest. Click here to sign up for our newsletter today!

THE AZALEA HOMESTEAD