Sourdough Chocolate Chip Muffins
These sourdough chocolate chip muffins are one of my favourite ways to use up leftover sourdough discard. They’re buttery and tender and loaded with chocolate chips. I like to make the batter the night before and let it ferment in the fridge overnight, which creates even taller muffin tops and better flavour, but you can also bake them straight away if you’re short on time.
About these muffins
These sourdough chocolate chip muffins are made with discard starter, with an optional overnight ferment for taller domes and better flavour. The sourdough discard is there for flavour and tenderness, not for leavening. The rise comes from baking powder and baking soda, so you don’t need to worry about whether your discard is active or not. In fact, older, more acidic discard works really well here because the acid reacts with the baking soda and also helps tenderise the crumb.
The two-temperature baking method is key to getting tall, bakery-style domed tops. I start the muffins at a high temperature (220°C/425°F) which creates a burst of steam that pushes the tops up quickly before they set. Then, lowering the temperature allows the inside to bake through without over-browning the outside.
There is an optional overnight ferment that does a few things. It allows the flour to fully hydrate, which creates a more tender crumb, it gives the wild yeasts in the discard time to develop flavour, and it thickens the batter, which helps the muffins hold their shape and rise taller. If you skip the overnight rest, the muffins will still be delicious, just slightly less domed and with a milder flavour. If you don’t have a sourdough starter yet, learn how to make a sourdough starter from scratch.
A peek at some of the ingredients
Method
The muffin batter
- Whisk together the all-purpose flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl. Set aside.
- Add the wet ingredients into a bowl and whisk til combined.
- Fold through the dry ingredients and chocolate chips. The muffins can be baked right away or cold-fermented overnight.
Overnight sourdough muffins
Cover the bowl tightly and place it in the refrigerator for up to 20 hours. Cold fermenting allows the flour to absorb more moisture from the batter, which can lead to a more tender and moist crumb. Additionally, slow fermentation helps break down the proteins in the flour.
Baking
- Use an ice cream scoop to divide the muffin batter evenly between the liners.
- Sprinkle the top of the muffins with granulated sugar. Bake til golden.
- Let the baked muffins cool in the pan for 5 minutes before removing them and placing them on a wire rack to cool further.
Tips and Tricks
Storing and freezing
These muffins are best on the day they’re made, but they keep well. Store leftover muffins in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days. After the first day, I like to warm them quickly in the microwave (10-15 seconds) to soften them and melt the chocolate.
To freeze: Let the muffins cool completely, then freeze in a zip-lock bag for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature or reheat from frozen in a low oven (150°C/300°F) for 10-15 minutes.
More sourdough discard recipes to try
If you’re looking for more ways to use your sourdough discard, try my tender sourdough banana muffins or soft sourdough zucchini bread. For something with fruit, my sourdough blueberry lemon bread is a favourite, or try the sourdough strawberry muffins which use a similar method to this recipe.
Sourdough Chocolate Chip Muffins
Ingredients
- 250 g all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 113 g butter melted and slightly cooled
- 15 g vegetable oil
- 200 g granulated sugar plus extra for topping
- 2 large eggs room temperature
- 100 g sourdough discard room temperature
- 180 g buttermilk room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon almond extract optional
- 160 g 1 cup mini chocolate chips
Instructions
- Whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl. Set aside. 250 g all-purpose flour, 2 teaspoons baking powder, 1/2 teaspoon baking soda, 1/2 teaspoon salt
- Add the melted butter, oil, eggs, sugar, sourdough discard, vanilla extract, almond extract and buttermilk in a large bowl. Whisk until well combined. 113 g butter, 15 g vegetable oil, 200 g granulated sugar, 2 large eggs, 100 g sourdough discard, 180 g buttermilk, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and fold with a rubber spatula until almost all are combined. Add the chocolate chips and fold them through. 160 g 1 cup mini chocolate chips
- The muffins can be baked right away or cold-fermented overnight.
- Overnight sourdough muffins: Cover the bowl tightly and place it in the refrigerator for up to 20 hours.
Baking
- Preheat the oven to 425°F (220°C) and line a muffin pan with liners.
- Use an ice cream scoop to divide the muffin batter evenly between the liners. They will be quite full. If the batter had a cold-proof, it will be very thick.
- Sprinkle the top of the muffins with granulated sugar.
- Bake for 5 minutes in the preheated oven, then turn the oven down to 350°F (180°C) and bake for 15-18 minutes more until golden brown and the muffin tops spring back when pressed or a cake tester inserted in the middle comes out clean.
- Let the baked muffins cool in the pan for 5 minutes before removing them and placing them on a wire rack to cool further.
Hi! Can I bake these into mini muffins? Would you happen to know how to adjust for mini muffin tins? Can’t wait to try your recipe! Thank you!
Hey yeah you can, but I am unsure how many mini muffins it would make, or the timing for baking. You might need to test bake one or two to see about timing and how much to fill the mini muffin pans 🙂
I made these with 3/4 starter and 1/4 discard. They came out moist and fluffy and so delicious. I love this recipe. I will definitely keep it to make again.
Worth the long ferment to get rise and depth of flavor. These were a great weekend treat for my fam!
So happy you loved them! 😀