Lemon Blueberry Sourdough Muffins (Printable)

Tangy muffins featuring blueberries, lemon zest, and a crumb topping with sourdough discard.

# What You'll Need:

→ Muffins

01 - 1 cup (120g) all-purpose flour
02 - 1 cup (125g) whole wheat flour
03 - 1 cup (200g) granulated sugar
04 - 1 teaspoon baking powder
05 - 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
06 - 1/2 teaspoon salt
07 - 2 large eggs
08 - 1/2 cup (4 fluid ounces) vegetable oil or melted butter
09 - 1 cup (240g) sourdough discard, unfed
10 - 1/2 cup (4 fluid ounces) whole milk
11 - 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
12 - Zest of 1 large lemon
13 - 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
14 - 1 1/2 cups (225g) fresh or frozen blueberries

→ Crumb Topping

15 - 1/2 cup (65g) all-purpose flour
16 - 1/3 cup (65g) light brown sugar
17 - 1/4 cup (60g) unsalted butter, cold and cubed
18 - Pinch of salt
19 - Zest of 1/2 lemon

# How To:

01 - Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C). Line a 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners or grease thoroughly.
02 - In a medium bowl, whisk together both flours, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
03 - In a large bowl, whisk eggs, oil, sourdough discard, milk, vanilla, lemon zest, and lemon juice until well combined.
04 - Gradually fold the dry ingredients into the wet mixture until just combined, avoiding overmixing.
05 - Gently fold in the blueberries until evenly distributed throughout the batter.
06 - Divide the batter evenly among the muffin cups, filling each approximately 3/4 full.
07 - Combine flour, brown sugar, cold butter, salt, and lemon zest in a small bowl. Using your fingers or a pastry cutter, blend until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
08 - Sprinkle crumb topping generously over each muffin.
09 - Bake for 22 to 25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean and the tops are golden brown.
10 - Cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • The sourdough discard gives you that subtle fermented tang that makes people ask for the recipe.
  • Tender, moist crumb that stays soft for days without feeling heavy or dense.
  • Fresh lemon zest and juice balance the sweetness in a way that tastes like breakfast and dessert at the same time.
  • That buttery crumb topping adds just enough texture to make it feel fancy without any fuss.
02 -
  • Don't overmix the batter once you combine wet and dry; you'll end up with tough, dense muffins with tunnels running through them.
  • Frozen blueberries are actually better here because they don't release juice into the batter, which would turn everything blue and create pockets of sogginess.
03 -
  • Always use cold butter for the crumb topping; warm butter melts and creates a dense, greasy layer instead of those crispy, sandy pieces.
  • If you don't have sourdough discard, you can substitute with Greek yogurt or sour cream in the same amount, though you'll lose that subtle tang.
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