Everyone loves some sort of pumpkin. If you aren't a fan of it in your coffee, I'm sure you'd like these Sourdough Pumpkin Muffins served with your favourite cuppa.
I don't know about you, but keeping sourdough alive means there's often plenty of discard around. You can easily make pancakes or other quick goodies with it, but I'm always looking for more options.
Capture the fall season by using the discard in these pumpkin muffins, which are perfect for freezing, too. And if you aren't keeping a sourdough starter yet, this is the perfect excuse to do so!
Why You Need This Recipe
- Use up that sourdough discard and don't let it go to waste.
- Use any flour you have on hand whether it's all-purpose or you want to grind your own.
- Top with sugar to make these feel like an extra special bakery treat.
Key Ingredients
Sourdough discard - when you are feeding your starter, you will sometimes have too much in your jar. Other times you may have missed a feed or stuck it in the fridge. This means it's not super active and won't make a great sourdough boule, but it is still safe and beneficial to use here!
Oil - use what ya got, whether you like butter or coconut oil. Even your bottle of canola or olive is perfect.
Pumpkin - plain puree, not the pumpkin pie mix. Use a can or make your own. I actually used freeze dried pumpkin puree I did last winter with pumpkins I was using up from our root cellar.
Sugar - regular granulated sugar, whether you prefer organic or not. This recipe calls for less sugar than you generally see, making it a great breakfast option.
Flour - all-purpose flour that you buy at the store or reach for the soft white wheat berries and grind them up.
How to Make Sourdough Discard Pumpkin Muffins
Step 1: Whisk up the wet ingredients (did you know sugar is considered a wet ingredient?) in one bowl and the dry in another.
Step 2: Combine the dry into wet, stirring until just combined. Too much mixing makes for tough muffins.
Step 3: Divvy up the batter into your prepared muffin tins.
Step 4: Add a sprinkle of sanding/coarse sugar on top for a special treat. You can use regular granulated too but it doesn't always stand out once baked.
Step 5: Bake until golden and a cake tester is clean. Cool on a rack.
Tips and Tricks
- Let the muffins cool completely on a rack before placing in a bag or container to store in the freezer. This way you won't get condensation on the muffins.
- Stir in a cup of mini chocolate chips if you'd like!
- If using fresh ground flour, let the batter rest about 15 minutes before baking. This will allow the dough to hydrate.
Autumn Squash
Did you know that most canned pumpkin isn't actually pumpkin? Any winter squash can be used, both when companies make their puree and if you make your own. Butternut, sweet mama, kabocha, Hubbard will all work. Also keep in mind that the canning process often darkens the puree, which is why baked goods with canned pumpkin are often a deeper color than if you use your own fresh or frozen puree.
For these photos, I actually used my own pumpkin that I had previously freeze-dried. I know it's not for everyone, but I love using my freeze dryer to preserve food since they make for easy meals. Much like I rehydrate soup for a quick meal, I simply added hot water to my "pumpkin powder" until the consistency seemed right to use as puree.
FAQs
I haven't tested it, but if you have an egg substitute you love in baked goods, like using applesauce or a "flax egg," feel free to try. The oil can be coconut oil (melted) or any other room temp liquid oil you prefer.
I love to use my Danish dough whisk for any sort of batter. It just mixes things up so smoothly!
I also recommend a scoop for making evenly sized muffins. Grab an ice cream scoop or even a measuring cup - ¼ cup is about how much batter goes into a standard size muffin. If you want a true scoop, look for a "disher." A #16 is about a quarter cup. It's so much easier than using your spatula or a spoon.
These are great in an airtight container on the counter for up to a week. You can always split and toast them in a toaster oven as well and serve with plenty of butter. For longer storage, place them in an airtight bag or container in the freezer for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight and breakfast is served!
More Muffin Recipes
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Sourdough Pumpkin Muffins
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 cups flour see notes
- 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
- ¾ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 cup sourdough discard
- 1 ½ cups pumpkin puree
- ½ cup oil like melted coconut oil, melted butter, or olive oil
- 2 eggs
- 1 tablespoon cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon nutmeg
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F and line two muffin tins with papers.
- Add all dry ingredients (flour through salt) to a mixing bowl and whisk to combine.
- Add all wet ingredients (sugar through eggs) to a mixing bowl and whisk to combine.
- Carefully add dry ingredients to wet and stir to combine, being sure not to over mix. I like to use a Danish dough whisk for batters like this.
- Use an ice cream scoop to divide the batter evenly into the prepared pans.
- Bake for 15-20 minutes or until lightly browned and a toothpick inserted in the center of a muffin comes out clean.
- Remove to a rack to cool completely before storing.
Notes
- This recipe is for sourdough discard, which is sourdough starter that needs to be fed or isn't active enough for true sourdough bread.
- I use all-purpose flour for muffins, but you can also use fresh ground wheat. I recommend soft white for baking muffins. Soft never works with yeast, but is perfect for baking with baking powder and soda. Soft red will work but red has a stronger taste than white.
- If you are using fresh ground wheat, let the batter rest before baking so the batter hydrates. I do this by mixing up the batter and putting in the muffin tin, and then preheating the oven to give the batter a rest before baking.
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