Vegan Sourdough Muffins (Discard Recipe)

Vegan sourdough muffins use starter or discard for flavour, not for lift. Discard is not active enough to raise a batter on its own, so the baking powder in this recipe does the rising. What the sourdough gives you is tang, a softer crumb and a use for the jar in the fridge, in about 40 minutes.

That makes these very different from a loaf of baked sourdough, which relies on hours of fermentation and wild yeast to rise. Muffins are a quick bread. The batter goes straight from the bowl to the oven, and nothing has time to ferment.

It is the same principle behind sourdough pancakes. You are using the discard as an ingredient, not as a leavener.

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Ingredients

½ cup of Sourdough starter or discard (120 g)
1 cup Wholemeal (whole wheat) flour (120 g)
½ cup Plain (all-purpose) flour (60 g)
1 teaspoon of Baking powder
1 teaspoon of salt
3 tablespoons of Brown sugar
2 drops of vanilla essence
1 cup Almond milk or any non-dairy milk (250 ml)
Fruit of your choice (optional)

How to bake vegan Sourdough Muffins

Step 1: Prepare the sourdough

You can use starter straight from the fridge here, and unfed discard is fine. It will not lift the batter either way, so there is no need to time this around a feed. If you prefer to feed the starter the night before, it will take 8 to 10 hours to ripen, and foam and bubbles on the surface in the morning tell you it is at its peak.
Ripe starter does contribute a little gas and a slightly lighter crumb, so use it if you have it. Older discard is more sour, which some people prefer. Measure out half a cup either way.

Step 2: Make the Batter

For the batter, pour one cup of wholemeal flour and half a cup of white flour into a bowl. Combining the two types of flour changes the taste and the texture of the muffin. Add the baking powder and salt into the bowl before mixing all four components. The baking powder is what makes these rise, so do not leave it out.
Dissolve the three spoons of brown sugar in a little warm water so it stirs through evenly. You can also use maple syrup if you would rather skip that step.
Add the sugar syrup into the flour mix along with the sourdough and a cup of almond milk. I have discovered many things from the five years of baking vegan bread and muffins. And one among them is the fact that almond milk is the best non-dairy milk for baking. You can try it, too, and check if I’m right.
Next, add two drops of vanilla essence to the thick batter. Mix until the dry patches are gone, then stop, because overmixing makes muffins tough. Add a few spoons of water if the batter is too dry and thick. It should be thick rather than watery, so avoid adding too much liquid. Get it into the oven reasonably promptly, since the baking powder starts working as soon as it is wet.

Step 3: Bake the muffins

Preheat the oven to 420 degrees Fahrenheit (215°C). Give it a proper preheat, which takes 10 to 15 minutes in most home ovens, because a muffin needs the heat to hit it straight away to get a good dome.
First, brush some oil on the muffin tray and the cupcake liners. This simple step is usually skipped while baking muffins. However, we think this small step can save you a lot of trouble. It will discourage any batter from sticking to the muffin tray. And it will make it convenient for you to unwrap the muffins before gobbling them down.
Next, you can focus on scooping the thick batter to fit them into the cupcake liners. You can add dried fruits, nuts or chocolate chips on top of the muffins.
After which, you can slide the muffin tray into the oven. Let the batter cook for a good 30 minutes. Ovens vary a lot at this temperature, so start checking at 18 to 20 minutes, and take them out when the tops are golden and domed and a skewer comes out clean. Let the tray cool for 5 to 10 minutes before you lift the muffins out.

What is the best way to enjoy vegan sourdough muffins?

Here are some helpful tips on how you can bake and enjoy the muffins.

Adding fruits, nuts, or chocolate chips

The basic muffins are good on their own. But that doesn’t mean you can’t have fun experimenting with your recipe. So, don’t restrict yourself and add a twist to your sourdough muffins by combining them with fresh, frozen, or dried fruits, crunchy nuts or chocolate chips. Your batter is the canvas. So, don’t stop experimenting with new ingredients. Don’t stop having fun.

Best for a quick morning snack

They are a decent thing to have on the bench on a Monday morning. How nourishing they are depends entirely on what you put in them, so use wholemeal flour, fruit and nuts if you want them to carry you through to lunch rather than just being cake in a wrapper.

If you prep meals a few days ahead, muffins are an easy one to have ready for breakfast.

Minimise white sugar and white flour

White sugar and white flour are the two most common ingredients in commercial muffins, and you cannot choose what goes into the ones you buy at the store.

However, you are in control when the spatula is in your hand.

So you can lean towards wholemeal flour and brown sugar instead. They are less refined, so they keep more of the fibre and minerals that milling strips out of white flour and sugar.

Is sourdough vegan?

It is a relief to know that sourdough is vegan-friendly in its traditional form, which is nothing more than flour, water and salt. Some bakers do feed their starters with milk, and some commercial loaves include dairy, honey or egg wash, so check the ingredients when you buy rather than bake. Made the traditional way, it is fine for vegans.

Here are a few more reasons sourdough is worth keeping going:

Vegan-friendly
Budget-friendly, since a starter costs nothing to maintain beyond flour
The long fermentation in bread makes it easier for many people to digest
That same fermentation breaks down some of the phytic acid in the flour, which makes minerals such as iron and zinc easier to absorb
Sourdough breads keep longer than yeasted breads thanks to their acidity

Worth noting that the last two points apply to properly fermented sourdough bread, not to muffins made with discard. A muffin batter is in the bowl for minutes, so there is no fermentation happening. Use discard in muffins for the flavour and to stop good starter going in the bin.

Do sourdough muffins need baking powder?

Yes. Sourdough discard is mostly spent, and even active starter cannot raise a thick batter in the time it takes a muffin to bake. Without a chemical raising agent you get dense, heavy muffins. The baking powder in this recipe is doing the lifting, and the acidity in the sourdough gives it a bit of extra help as it reacts.

Can you use unfed sourdough discard?

You can, and it is the whole point of the recipe. Discard straight from the fridge works fine, and older discard gives a stronger sour note. If it has liquid pooled on top, that is hooch, which is normal. Stir it back in for a tangier muffin or pour it off for a milder one. Discard that has gone pink, orange or fuzzy is off and should be thrown out.

How long do they keep?

Two to three days in an airtight container at room temperature, and they are best on the first day. The fridge dries them out, so avoid it unless the weather is hot. For longer storage, freeze them once they are completely cool, where they will keep for up to three months. Thaw at room temperature or warm them straight from frozen in a low oven for about 10 minutes.

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