Bright, zesty, and lightly tangy, these sourdough lemon poppy seed muffins are the perfect way to use up sourdough discard. They have a soft, tender crumb with a little crunch from the poppy seeds, and the discard adds an extra depth of flavor.
Mix the all-purpose flour, poppy seeds, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl. Set aside.
In a large bowl, add granulated sugar and lemon zest. Use your fingertips to gently rub the zest into the sugar to release the lemon oils.
Add the melted butter, oil, lemon juice, eggs, sourdough discard, milk and vanilla extract. Whisk until well combined.
Add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients and stir until combined.
The muffins can be baked right away or cold-fermented overnight.
Cold-fermenting - Cover the bowl tightly and place it in the refrigerator for up to 16 hours. Cold fermenting allows the flour to absorb more moisture from the batter, which can lead to a more moist crumb. Additionally, slow fermentation helps break down the proteins in the flour. The next day the batter will be very thick.
Baking
Preheat the oven to 425°F (220°C) and line a muffin pan.
Use an ice cream scoop to divide the muffin batter evenly over the 12 liners. They will be full.
Bake for 5 minutes in the preheated oven, then turn the oven down to 350°F (180°C) and bake for 16-18 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.
Lemon glaze
combine the powdered sugar and lemon juice in a small bowl. If you'd like an extra hit of citrus flavor, you can also add some lemon zest. Stir everything together until you have a smooth, slightly runny glaze.
If the glaze is too thick, add a bit more lemon juice. If it's too thin, add more powdered sugar.
Once the muffins have cooled down a bit but are still slightly warm, drizzle the glaze over the muffins.
Notes
Storing & Freezing
Store the muffins in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days. If you want to keep them longer, freeze them for up to 3 months and thaw at room temperature when ready to eat.
Variations
Extra crunch: Sprinkle turbinado sugar on top before baking for a crisp topping.
Lemon poppy seed loaf: If you prefer a loaf over muffins, simply pour the batter into a 9x5 inch (23x13 cm) loaf pan and bake it as a quick bread at 350°F (180°C). Depending on your oven, it will take around 45-60 minutes to bake. To check for doneness, insert a skewer into the center. It should come out clean when the loaf is fully baked. Let it cool before icing and slicing.