Sourdough Blueberry Muffins: A Recipe from the Farm

Last Updated on December 20, 2023 by TheFarmChicken

The quintessential muffin. Blueberries belong in muffins like chocolate chips belong in cookies. They just go together. These sourdough discard muffins are perfectly moist in the middle with a tender crumb, golden on top with a crunch from the sparkling sugar tops, all with a lovely blueberry flavor throughout. Perfect in the morning with a cup of coffee, or a glass or milk. They are also good as an afternoon snack. An added bonus, these muffins are really simple to make and are ready in less than an hour. Let’s make Sourdough Blueberry Muffins: A Recipe from the Farm.

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The Ingredients for Fluffy Sourdough Blueberry Muffins:

All-Purpose Flour

My Favorite flour to use is Dakota Maid flour. It’s not necessary to use bread flour in this recipe actually it is better not too. Less protein in your flour, to a certain point, makes for a more tender crumb to your muffin.

Salt

You only need a ½ teaspoon of salt in this muffin recipe. There is also salt being added because of the salted butter.

Baking Soda and Baking Powder

It is fun to take out a lofty muffin from the oven. Baking soda and baking powder are partly responsible for this as they are both a leavening agent. I use both to ensure a fluffy high muffin top!

Buttermilk

Buttermilk adds to the texture of these moist muffins. If you don’t have buttermilk, you can make your own with milk and vinegar or lemon juice.

How to make Buttermilk at home:

• Add 1 T vinegar OR lemon juice per 1 cup of milk.
• Stir and let sit for 5 minutes.

Eggs

You need two room temperature eggs for this recipe.

Pure Vanilla Extract

Vanilla pairs well with blueberries and adding a couple teaspoons elevates these sourdough discard blueberry muffins.

Sugar

There is enough sugar so that the muffins are sweet but not a cupcake sweet. I went back and forth if I wanted them to have a streusel top or sprinkled with sugar. Honestly in the end the sugar top wins. It is simple, doesn’t add as much fat and calories to the muffin and creates such a beautiful muffin top with the perfect crunch! Yum!

Butter

Make sure your butter is soft and combine it first with the sugar. Then add the rest of the wet ingredients mixing well!

Quick way to get soft butter: You can soften the butter in the microwave using the defrost setting. I always find the defrost setting easier when working with butter because it is easier to not melt it!

Sour Cream

Sour Cream adds moisture to these muffins, like the starter, and buttermilk do.

Sourdough Starter – Active or Discard

This is a great way to use up that sourdough discard! Either active sourdough starter or sourdough discard work for this recipe.

What is sourdough discard? After you have fed your starter and use the active sourdough starter in the recipe you plan to make, sometimes there is more leftover sourdough starter than needed in your jar. This can be saved as sourdough discard and used in recipes like this! Just make sure to leave some (about ¼ cup or 75-100 grams) in the bottom of the jar to feed the next time you want to bake something with sourdough.

If you don’t have your own sourdough starter, Agnes would love to help you learn how. Follow along with her and you will have a young starter in a week!

Frozen Blueberries or Fresh Blueberries

Either way these muffins are delicious. If you are using fresh just wash them and throw them in. Sometimes I will squish a half cup of the blueberries first to help distribute the berries well. This is not necessary though.

Frozen blueberries just take out of the freezer and fold into your batter.

Mixing up the Muffin Batter:

• For best results, before you start mixing up your muffins make sure your ingredients are at room temperature. This helps the ingredients incorporate better and results in a better muffin.
• First you measure out all the liquid ingredients and put them in a large mixing bowl. Combine them with a whisk until well combined and then add the sugar and mix again.
• In a medium mixing bowl add the dry ingredients together and then add to the wet ingredients and stir. Mix until just combined and be sure TO NOT OVERMIX.
• Fold in the fresh or frozen blueberries and they are ready for the oven!

Why Bake them at a High Temperature to Start?

When baking these muffins, you will start your oven at 400 degrees. The muffins bake at 400 degrees for 10 minutes and then lower the temperature to 350 degrees for the last of the baking time.

This initial high temperature allows the muffins to spring up and have a beautiful muffin top. Finishing them at 350 degrees ensures that they won’t burn on the outside and be raw on the inside.

Jumbo Muffin Variation:

Sometimes I like to make jumbo muffins. Same recipe but different pan and you will bake them a while longer. If you are looking for a more bakery-style muffin this is the way to go!

How to serve blueberry muffins:

• The best way really, is to cut the muffin in half and eat it with a pat of butter. Learn more about butter in my nutritional comparison with butter vs. cream cheese.
• As a side with this Hearty Chili or Baked Beans.

Pin for Later:

Sourdough Blueberry Muffins: A Recipe from the Farm

• 1/3 cup butter, softened
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1/3 cup sour cream, room temperature
• ½ cup buttermilk, room temperature
• ½ cup sourdough starter discard
• 2 eggs, room temperature
• 2 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 2 ½ cups all purpose flour
• ½ tsp salt
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 2 cups blueberries
• Sugar to sprinkle on muffin tops

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Grease or line with paper liners, a muffin tin, and set aside.
• First in a large mixing bowl, or the bowl of a stand mixer, add the butter and sugar and mix until light and fluffy. Add the sour cream, buttermilk, sourdough discard and vanilla. Mix well and then add the eggs and whisk until well incorporated.
• In a separate medium bowl combine the flour, salt, baking powder and baking soda. Whisk until combined.
• Add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients in the large bowl and mix until just combined. It is okay if there are a few little lumps, it is more important to not overmix.
• Fold in your blueberries with a rubber spatula. Using a large cookie scoop, Scoop the mixture into a well-greased or paper lined muffin pan. Fill the muffin tin to level with muffin batter. Generously sprinkle the muffins with granulated sugar.
• Place in preheated oven and bake for 8 minutes. Reduce the heat to 350 degrees and bake for 11-13 minutes more or until golden brown or a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
• Remove from the oven and let sit in the muffin tins for 5 minutes then remove onto a wire rack to cool.
• Make sure to enjoy a warm muffin with a pat of butter!

Notes

• This recipe makes 14 sourdough discard blueberry muffins.
• Store in an airtight container for up to 5 days or freeze in a freezer bag for up to 3 months.

Thank you for reading! I hope you enjoy making these Sourdough Blueberry Muffins: A Recipe from the Farm. Let me know if you have any questions or comments below. Thanks again!

Mariah | TheFarmChicken

FAQ’s

Other Sourdough Discard Recipes to Try:

• Flaky Sourdough Buttermilk Biscuits: A Recipe from the Farm
• Homemade Sourdough Tortillas: A Recipe from the Farm
• Sourdough Apple Cider Donuts (Baked): A Recipe from the Farm

Shop this Post:

• Muffin Tin
• Jumbo Muffin Tin
• Cooling Rack
• Muffin Liners
• Cookie Scoop for Easy Muffin Scooping

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