Sourdough Lemon Muffins: Quick Sourdough Recipe (2024)

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Sourdough lemon muffins combine the delicious zingy tang of lemons with the goodness of sourdough to bring you a taste sensation.

These sourdough lemon muffins have a tender, cakey crumb and a crunchy top that's drizzled with a lemon glaze. Seriously, you won't be able to stop at just one!

This recipe uses 200g of sourdough starter - you can use fed, active starter or you can use discard. Whatever you have on hand.

If you are building a new starter, this is a great recipe to use a lot of discard in one hit (as long as your starter is at least 7 days old). Other muffin flavors include orange cranberry sourdough muffins and long fermented blueberry sourdough muffins. If you prefer a savory muffin, you might like these sourdough zucchini muffins with cheese and chives.

Sourdough Lemon Muffins: Quick Sourdough Recipe (1)

How To Make Sourdough Lemon Muffins

Muffins made with sourdough starter are pretty easy. These lemon sourdough muffins take just a few minutes to throw together. With baking time, they can be done in under 30 minutes!

One of the most important things to do to make these muffins shine is make sure you use unwaxed lemons. If you can get a lemon from someone's lemon tree it will give your muffins the most amazing taste and fragrance.

Sourdough Lemon Muffins: Quick Sourdough Recipe (2)

How to make sourdough lemon muffins:

  1. Preheat your oven.
  2. Mix the sourdough starter, eggs, oil, lemon juice and vanilla together in a bowl. Make sure you mix them together really well and that the eggs are well beaten.
  3. Mix the flour, baking powder, salt, lemon zest and sugar in a separate bowl.
  4. Now pour the liquid ingredients into the dry ingredients.
  5. Use a spatula and mix them until they are just combined – do not over mix!!
  6. Spoon the muffin batter into a greased 12 hole muffin tin.
  7. Bake until golden.
  8. While the muffins are baking, mix the powdered sugar and lemon juice together.
  9. Spoon the glaze over the sourdough muffins while they are still hot in the muffin tin.
  10. Allow the glaze to soak in and the muffins to cool before removing from the tin.
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Does Sourdough Discard Spoil?

You can choose to make these sourdough lemon muffins with fed, active starter or sourdough discard.

Sourdough discard is just unfed sourdough starter. For more sourdough terminology, check out this sourdough glossary.

If you leave unfed sourdough starter on the kitchen counter for a long time, it will eventually be overtaken by bad bacteria and mold, rendering it unusable.

Discard does eventually spoil because it has no more food to feed the bacteria and yeast in the sourdough starter.

Keeping sourdough discard in the fridge will give it a longer life, however because you aren't feeding it, it will eventually become very sour and even develop hooch.

Try to use up discard within a 2 week period, even if it's kept in the refrigerator. After this, it may become too sour and will impart an unpleasant flavor into baked goods.

There are so many ways you can use your discard - you'll find a tonne of sourdough discard recipes here.

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Do You Feed Sourdough Discard?

In a word - no! If you do feed sourdough discard - it becomes active sourdough starter. You discard your starter right before you feed. If you don't discard your starter, it will grow exponentially and take over your kitchen.

Discarding also regulates acidity levels in your sourdough starter.

Try to resist the temptation to feed your sourdough discard - read this if you would like more information on this topic.

Instead of feeding your sourdough discard - bake with it!

Tips For Successful Sourdough Muffins

  • Don't over mix the batter. Ensure that the wet ingredients are well combined before you pour into the dry ingredients. Use a silicone spatula to just combine them. If you over mix the batter the muffins will be tough and chewy.
  • Don't use sourdough discard that's really old and sour - it will give you an unpleasant flavor in your muffins.
  • If you want to make these muffins, but don't have 200g of starter or discard, these instructions will show you how to increase the amount of starter you have on hand.
  • Use the freshest lemons possible - they are best if you pick them from a tree to ensure the rind has no wax or chemicals added.
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Flavor Variations for Sourdough Lemon Muffins

While these sourdough lemon muffins are perfect in their simplicity, you could also jazz them up with these flavor variations:

  • add a few teaspoons of poppy seeds to the dry ingredients before pouring in the wet ingredients to make sourdough lemon and poppyseed muffins.
  • top the batter with some flaked almonds before you place them into the oven.
  • adding orange zest as well as lemon zest will give you lovely citrus sourdough muffins.
  • add 100g of white chocolate chips to the dry ingredients before pouring in the wet ingredients to make white chocolate and lemon sourdough muffins.
  • add some frozen or dried blueberries for a version of sourdough lemon and blueberry muffins.
  • add a few handfuls of tinned pineapple pieces to the dry ingredients before you pour the liquid ingredients in.

Further Reading

If you love this recipe for sourdough lemon muffins, you might enjoy some of these ideas:

  • Sourdough Zucchini Muffins
  • Lemon and White Chocolate Sourdough Bread
  • Best Sourdough Banana Muffins [with 20 flavor variations]
  • Raspberry Sourdough Muffinswith orange and coconut
  • Sourdough Apple Cake - it's sooooo good served with whipped cream!
  • Apple and Cinnamon Sourdough Muffins
  • Try these no wait sourdough recipes - there's one that you're sure to love!
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Sourdough Lemon Muffins: Quick Sourdough Recipe (8)

Sourdough Lemon Muffins

These simple to make sourdough lemon muffins make a delicious snack any time of the day. The zesty fragrance and flavor of lemon shine bright in these sourdough muffins.

4.33 from 188 votes

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 20 minutes mins

Course Dessert, Snack

Cuisine American

Servings 12 Muffins

Calories 203 kcal

Equipment

  • Mixing Bowl

  • Digital Scales

  • 12 Hole Muffin Tin

Ingredients

  • 200 g Sourdough Starter Discard or Active Starter
  • 200 g All Purpose Flour
  • 70 g Sugar
  • 2 Eggs
  • 6 g Baking Powder (1 tsp)
  • 100 g Vegetable Oil Light flavor
  • 20 g Lemon Zest zest of whole lemon
  • 20 g Lemon Juice
  • 5 g Vanilla Extract
  • 5 g Salt (1 tsp)

Lemon Glaze

  • 60 g Powdered Sugar
  • 20 g Lemon Juice

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 180C/350F and grease a 12 hole muffin tin with butter.

  • Mix the sourdough starter, eggs, lemon juice, vanilla extract and oil in a bowl. Whisk together until well combined. It's ok if the oil sits on the top, it will combine once it is poured into the dry ingredients.

  • In a separate bowl mix together all purpose flour, salt, baking powder, lemon zest and sugar.

  • Now pour the liquid ingredient mixture into the dry ingredients. Gently fold together until just mixed - don't over mix or the muffins will be tough.

  • Spoon mixture into greased muffin tin. This recipe will fill a 12 hole muffin (each hole around ¾ full).

  • Bake at 180C/350F for approximately 20 minutes or until muffins are golden brown.

  • While the muffins are baking, mix together the powdered sugar and lemon juice.

  • Once the muffins are cooked, spoon the lemon glaze onto the muffins while they are still in the muffin tin. Let the lemon glaze soak into the muffins and cool slightly before removing them from the tin.

Notes

The topping for these muffins is completely optional. If making for kids lunchboxes or snack time, it's absolutely fine to leave them out. They are sweet enough without it.

Nutrition

Calories: 203kcalCarbohydrates: 27gProtein: 3gFat: 9gSaturated Fat: 7gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 27mgSodium: 226mgPotassium: 35mgFiber: 1gSugar: 11gVitamin A: 41IUVitamin C: 3mgCalcium: 39mgIron: 1mg

Keyword Sourdough Discard

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Sourdough Lemon Muffins: Quick Sourdough Recipe (9)
Sourdough Lemon Muffins: Quick Sourdough Recipe (2024)

FAQs

Is sourdough good for your gut? ›

Improved Digestive Health

Sourdough bread may be easier to digest than white bread for some people. According to some studies, sourdough bread acts as a prebiotic, which means that the fiber in the bread helps feed the “good” bacteria in your intestines.

How do you make sourdough rise faster? ›

First, use warm water and increase the water-to-flour ratio slightly. This will help the yeast to activate quicker and aid in rising more quickly. A 1:2:2 ratio or higher, even 1:4:4 ratio helps. Another tip is to add some sugar or honey to the dough, as this will also help the yeast become more active.

Does lemon juice affect sourdough? ›

Addition of lemon or apple juice positively impacts wheat sourdough and bread flavour.

What happens if you use more sourdough starter than the recipe calls for? ›

And you guessed it..the more starter you use, the faster your dough will ferment - resulting in a less sour loaf. Using less starter in your recipe will help slow down the fermentation process.

Is it okay to eat sourdough bread every day? ›

Is it healthy to eat sourdough everyday? You could eat sourdough every day, but it isn't necessarily healthy to do so. A healthy diet is characterized by balance and moderation. Whether or not it is healthy for you to consume sourdough every day depends on the rest of your diet.

Is sourdough bread good for belly fat? ›

Its unique fermentation process unlocks nutrients and breaks down antinutrients, making it easy to digest and packed with beneficial compounds. Sourdough bread may positively support weight management and promote improved gut health.

What happens if you let sourdough bread rise too long? ›

The loaf is also inclined to over spring resulting in a crumb with big, random, holes or channels running through the loaf. If you over-ferment the dough you run the risk of the gluten structure degrading and the loaf turning into a puddle of goo before your eyes, never to be retrieved and destined for the bin.

What's the longest you can let sourdough rise? ›

If you desire an extra-sour sourdough loaf, cover it and refrigerate immediately. The dough will rise slowly overnight or up to 24 hours. Allowing the dough to remain longer in the refrigerator isn't beneficial, as an extended time in the refrigerator will lead to off flavors and diminished dough strength.

Can you over knead sourdough? ›

Over-kneading sourdough can lead to tough, dense bread. It's key to knead for 10-15 minutes by hand or 5-8 minutes with a mixer, watching for a tacky texture and the "windowpane" effect. Over-kneading accelerates fermentation, affecting rise and taste.

What not to do with sourdough? ›

Here are the big errors to avoid when working with sourdough.
  1. You Bake Too Soon. ...
  2. You Use Unfiltered Tap Water. ...
  3. You're Impatient. ...
  4. You Don't Let Gluten Develop Properly. ...
  5. You Don't Let the Bread Proof Long Enough. ...
  6. You Don't Score the Surface of the Bread Properly. ...
  7. The Baking Time Is Too Short. ...
  8. The Bread Doesn't Rest Long Enough.
Apr 1, 2022

What is the secret to sourdough? ›

The secret to sourdough is simple: water. The more water you add to your dough will affect how open the crumb (bigger holes and softer texture) will be once it's baked.

What ingredients should not be in sourdough bread? ›

Other natural ingredients can be added but genuine sourdough bread making does not involve the use of baker's yeast, chemical raising agents, so-called processing aids or other additives.

Why discard half sourdough starter? ›

If you don't get rid of the excess, eventually you'll have more starter than your feedings can sustain. After a few days, your daily 1/4 cup flour and water won't be enough to sustain your entire jar of starter, and your starter will be slow and sluggish, not much better than discard itself.

Is making sourdough cheaper than buying it? ›

Yes it's cheaper to make your own sourdough at home, as oppose to buying it from a bakery. What is this? When you consider that sourdough is literally just flour, water and salt (including the sourdough culture), then depending on the type of flour you use, you could bake a loaf for as little as $1.

Can you put too much starter in sourdough bread? ›

If you have too much starter compared to the additional flour and water you're adding, your hungry starter consumes all the nutrients and then it's not as bubbly.

Which bread is best for gut health? ›

The best bread to reduce gut inflammation is bread made from whole grains. Refined grains, such as the grains found in white bread and white pasta, are known to increase inflammation across the whole body. Sourdough bread and rye bread are both good options for an anti-inflammatory diet.

Is sourdough good for IBS? ›

Sourdough bread is often better tolerated with IBS. The fermenting process that makes it rise helps break down some gluten and FODMAPS. If you are prone to constipation, ingredients like oats or ground flax may help. Bread choices for IBS may be complicated, but there are better options now than ever before.

Is sourdough healthier than yeast bread? ›

Generally, participants who ate the sourdough bread had lower blood sugar and insulin levels than those who ate the breads fermented with baker's yeast ( 3 , 21 , 22 , 23 ). Sourdough fermentation produces changes in the bread that may help control blood sugar better than bread made using traditional baker's yeast.

What is the healthiest bread to eat? ›

Look for “whole grain,” “whole wheat,” or “whole meal” on the label. If a loaf contains 6 grams of fiber per 100 g, it's rich in fiber. Choose breads with plenty of intact grains, like oats, barley, and quinoa, as well as seeds, if you can eat these. Watch out for mass-produced sourdough breads.

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