Sourdough Discard Pumpkin Muffins
Moist, tender, and richly spiced pumpkin muffins utilizing unfed sourdough discard for subtle depth of flavor and a soft bakery-style crumb.
Ingredients
- •1 cup all-purpose flour
- •0.5 cup sourdough discard, unfed and at room temperature
- •0.5 cup pure pumpkin puree (canned or fresh, not pumpkin pie mix)
- •0.25 cup dark brown sugar, packed
- •0.25 cup granulated sugar
- •0.25 cup unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled
- •1 large egg, room temperature
- •1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- •1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
- •0.5 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- •0.75 teaspoon baking powder
- •0.5 teaspoon baking soda
- •0.25 teaspoon fine sea salt
- •1 tablespoon pepitas (raw pumpkin seeds) or coarse turbinado sugar, for garnish
Instructions
- 1.
Preheat your oven to 400°F (200°C). Line 4 to 6 cups of a standard muffin tin with parchment paper liners.
- 2.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, pumpkin pie spice, ground cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, and fine sea salt until evenly distributed.
- 3.
In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the pumpkin puree, sourdough discard, brown sugar, granulated sugar, melted butter, egg, and vanilla extract until smooth, glossy, and fully emulsified.
- 4.
Pour the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients. Gently fold with a rubber spatula just until combined and no dry flour streaks remain. Avoid overmixing to keep the muffin texture tender.
- 5.
Divide the batter evenly among the prepared muffin cups, filling them nearly to the top for tall, domed bakery-style muffin tops. Sprinkle the tops with pepitas or turbinado sugar.
- 6.
Bake at 400°F (200°C) for 5 minutes, then reduce oven temperature to 350°F (175°C) without opening the oven door. Continue baking for an additional 15 to 17 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- 7.
Cool the muffins in the tin for 5 minutes, then transfer them to a wire rack to cool slightly before serving warm with butter.
Tips
- 💡Using room temperature sourdough discard and eggs ensures the melted butter doesn't seize when mixed.
- 💡Starting the baking process at 400°F creates a rapid burst of steam that lifts the muffins into high, domed bakery-style tops before lowering the heat to finish baking gently.
- 💡Do not overmix the batter; folding gently until just combined preserves the delicate gluten structure tenderized by the sourdough acids.
Recipe from TheCookbook.ai
Created by Basil Roux