Sourdough Discard Jumbo Blueberry Muffins

Ingredients

Dry Ingredients

Whisk these together before adding the wet mixture.

• 255g (2 cups + 2 tbsp) all-purpose flour — Metric is the preferred measurement.
• 12g (1 tbsp) baking powder
• 3g (½ tsp + ⅛ tsp) baking soda — One gram more than the original, to balance the acid in the discard.
• 4g (¾ tsp) fine salt
• 180g (¾ cup + 2 tbsp) granulated sugar

Wet Ingredients

• 85g (6 tbsp) unsalted butter, melted — Cool slightly before mixing with the eggs.
• 60g (¼ cup + 1 tsp) neutral oil
• 100g (2 large eggs) large eggs — About 100g without shells.
• 150g (⅔ cup) sourdough discard, 100% hydration, room temperature — Unfed discard 1 to 7 days old. It replaces 75g of flour and all of the milk.
• 170g (¾ cup) vanilla yogurt — The vanilla yogurt replaces sour cream and adds moisture and tenderness.
• 5g (1 tsp) vanilla extract

Fruit and Topping

• 250g (1¾ cups) blueberries — Fresh preferred. Frozen can be used straight from the freezer without thawing.
• 25g (2 tbsp) coarse sugar — For the bakery-style crunchy tops.

Pro tip: Use discard that's 1 to 7 days old and let it come to room temperature. Fresh-ish discard gives you a richer crumb with no sourness you'd notice. Discard that's two weeks old and smells like nail polish remover will make the muffins taste sharp and can dull the crown.

Equipment

• Texas-Size Jumbo Muffin Tin
• Tulip Muffin Liners
• Large and Medium Mixing Bowls
• Balloon Whisk
• Flexible Spatula
• Digital Scale
• Instant-Read Thermometer
• Wire Cooling Rack

Method

Prepare the Pan and Oven (Start hot for the tallest crown)

Set the oven up before mixing so the batter can go in as soon as it is ready.

1. Preheat the Oven. Heat the oven to 425°F (220°C). Give it enough time to fully preheat before the muffins go in.
2. Line the Muffin Tin. Set 6 liners into a Texas-size jumbo muffin tin. The tall paper supports the batter as the crown rises.

Tip: A fully heated oven matters here. The first blast of heat helps set the outside quickly while the center keeps pushing upward.

Mix the Dry Ingredients

Distribute the leaveners evenly before the wet ingredients are added.

1. Whisk the Dry Mixture. Whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and granulated sugar until evenly distributed.

Mix the Wet Ingredients

Use butter that's warm but no longer hot, and discard at room temperature.

1. Whisk Until Smooth. Whisk the melted butter, oil, eggs, vanilla yogurt, sourdough discard, and vanilla until smooth. Give the discard an extra 20 seconds of whisking so no stringy clumps survive into the batter.

Tip: Cold discard straight from the fridge can firm up the melted butter into little flecks. Set the discard on the counter while the oven heats.

Combine the Batter

This is a thick muffin batter. Mix only until the flour disappears.

1. Fold Wet Into Dry. Pour the wet mixture into the dry ingredients. Fold gently with a spatula just until no dry pockets of flour remain. A few small lumps are fine.
2. Fold In the Blueberries. Fold in the blueberries with as few strokes as possible. Stop as soon as they are distributed.

Tip: Fold even less than you think you need to. Discard already has some gluten in it, so this batter tightens up faster than the original if you keep working it.

Fill the Tulip Liners

Divide the batter evenly for consistent crowns and baking.

1. Portion the Batter. Divide the batter among the 6 liners, about 205-215g per muffin. The batter should sit high in the liner rather than stopping at two-thirds full.
2. Finish the Tops. Add a few visible blueberries to the top of each muffin, then sprinkle evenly with coarse sugar.

Tip: Do not be shy with the fill. The heavy portion is part of what creates the oversized bakery crown.

Bake and Cool

Keep the oven closed when reducing the temperature so the crowns do not lose their lift.

1. Start at High Heat. Bake at 425°F (220°C) for 7 minutes.
2. Reduce the Heat. Without opening the oven, reduce the temperature to 375°F (190°C). Continue baking for 20-25 minutes.
3. Check for Doneness. The tops should be deeply golden and the centers should register 205-210°F (96-99°C). A tester should come out with a few moist crumbs but no wet batter.
4. Cool. Let the muffins stand in the pan for 5 minutes, then move them to a wire rack. Give them at least 15 minutes before serving so the crumb can finish setting.

Tip: Do not open the oven when you lower the temperature. Keep that trapped heat working for the crown.

Bake for a Tall Bakery Crown

A short high-heat start gives the muffins an early lift, then the lower temperature bakes the centers through without over-browning the tops.

Oven: 220°C / 425°F. Internal temperature when done: 96-99°C / 205-210°F.

Bake time: PT30M

Equipment: Texas-size jumbo muffin tin and six tulip liners

1. Bake 7 minutes at 425°F (220°C), then lower to 375°F (190°C) without opening the door and bake 20-25 minutes more.

Texas-Size Muffin Tin with Tulip Liners (recommended)

The recommended method for the oversized bakery-style muffins this recipe was built around.

Equipment: Texas-size jumbo muffin tin and six tulip liners

1. Preheat. Preheat the oven fully to 425°F (220°C).
2. Fill. Portion about 205-215g batter into each tulip liner.
3. High Heat. Bake 7 minutes at 425°F (220°C).
4. Reduce. Without opening the oven, reduce to 375°F (190°C).
5. Finish. Bake 20-25 minutes more, to 205-210°F (96-99°C) internally.
6. Cool. Cool 5 minutes in the pan, then transfer to a rack.

Note: The first 7 minutes are there for lift. Keep the door closed when you lower the temperature. Discard muffins brown a shade faster, so check at 20 minutes into the lower heat.

Storage

• Room temperature: Store airtight at room temperature for up to 3 days. The discard keeps the crumb moist a day longer than the original.
• Refrigerated: Up to 5 days, tightly covered. Bring to room temperature or warm before serving.
• Frozen: Freeze individually wrapped muffins for up to 2 months.
• Refresh: Warm a thawed muffin in a 300°F (150°C) oven for 8-10 minutes.

Cool completely before sealing to keep condensation from softening the sugar crust.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why did my muffins spread instead of making a big top?

The most common causes are underfilling the liners, overmixing the batter, weak baking powder, or an oven that was not fully preheated to 425°F (220°C).

Can I use frozen blueberries?

Yes. Use them straight from the freezer and fold them in last. Do not thaw them first. The muffins may need another 2-4 minutes in the oven.

Can I replace the vanilla yogurt?

Yes. Plain yogurt or sour cream can replace it gram for gram at 170g (¾ cup). Because this version was tested with sweetened vanilla yogurt, plain yogurt will make the finished muffin slightly less sweet.

Can I bake these in a regular muffin pan?

Yes, but they will not have the same oversized bakery crown. Fill regular liners generously and begin checking earlier because smaller muffins bake faster.

Can I use active, bubbly starter instead of discard?

Yes, gram for gram. It won't make the muffins rise more, since the chemical leaveners are doing the work, but the flavor will be a little milder.

Will these taste sour?

No. With 1 to 7 day old discard, the sweetened yogurt, sugar, and baking soda cover it completely. You'll notice a richer flavor, not tang.

Can I mix the batter the night before?

Don't mix the full batter ahead. The baking powder starts working as soon as it's wet. Whisk the dry ingredients and the wet ingredients separately, refrigerate the wet bowl overnight, then let it sit out 20 minutes and combine in the morning.

Nutrition

Per serving (1 jumbo muffin): about 600 calories, 85g carbohydrates, 10g protein, 25g fat, 3g fiber, about 600mg sodium. Makes 6 servings.