Sourdough leaven adds a delicious edge to these easy to make muffins. Quick to make, they’re great to whip up when baking sourdough bread.
In the Fuss Free household I do most of the cooking, whilst Ed makes breakfast and bakes sourdough.
All this sourdough leaves a problem of what to do with the spare leaven that is left as part of the process – I hate throwing it away, it seems unnecessarily wasteful so I adapted my usual egg free muffins recipe to use some of the leaven up.
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Recipe: Cranberry & Chocolate Sourdough Muffins
Sourdough leaven adds a delicious edge to balance the sweetness of these easy to make muffins. Quick to make, they're great to whip up when baking sourdough bread.
Servings: 15 mini muffins
Ingredients
- 100 grams sourdough starter ((ripe, 100% hydration - equal quantities flour and water - is perfect))
- 75 ml milk ((dairy or non-dairy is fine))
- 25 ml vegetable oil
- 60 g plain flour
- 40 g soft brown sugar
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 pinch salt
Flavours
- 1/2 tsp vanilla essence
- 1 tsp cranberry sauce ((heaped))
- 1 tbs dark chocolate chips
Instructions
- Whisk the leaven, oil and milk together until well mixed. Heat oven to 190°C/375°F/GM5
- In a separate, large, bowl mix the dry ingredient - flour, sugar, baking powder and salt.
- Add the wet ingredients to the dry along with the cranberry sauce and chocolate drops (reserve a few) and fold together (the batter should be lumpy and mixing should take no more than 15 folds).
- Dollop the mixture into a mini muffin pan, sprinkle each muffin with the remainder of the chocolate drops.
- Bake for 12 – 15 mins until risen. For regular muffins increase the cooking time to 20 – 25 mins.
Notes
- If you do not have any sourdough leaven simply add another 50g flour and 50g milk.
- As always, the secret with muffins is not to overmix the dough. Lumps of unmixed flour in the raw mixture is fine.
- Use up leftover leaven in our leftover sourdough leaven loaf
• Please note that the nutrition information provided below is approximate and meant as a guideline only.
• Unless stated otherwise cup conversions have been made with an online tool. For accuracy please check with your favoured conversion tool. We recommend buying inexpensive digital kitchen scales.
Nutrition Facts
Recipe: Cranberry & Chocolate Sourdough Muffins
Amount Per Serving
Calories 54
Calories from Fat 18
% Daily Value*
Fat 2g3%
Saturated Fat 1g6%
Sodium 3mg0%
Potassium 50mg1%
Carbohydrates 8g3%
Sugar 3g3%
Vitamin A 10IU0%
Calcium 23mg2%
Iron 0.2mg1%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
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Ren Behan
Gorgeous little morsels. You and Ed make such a good team, especially with his new-found sourdough baking skills :-)
Helen
The day with Vanessa made such a huge difference to Ed’s sourdough. it is a hard skill, but so worth it once mastered.
Fiona Maclean
thanks for linking this up to the challenge! I’ve never heard of sourdough muffins, but these do look great;)
Helen
It is a great way of using up the spare leaven. And possibly the last of the Christmas cranberry sauce!
Franglais kitchen, Nazima
these look fab. Pierre made some similar muffins at a baking day with Dan Lepard and they tasted great but we have not done it again. Must try your recipe as I do still have a little cranberry sauce left too!
Helen
I love muffins, endlessly adaptable too!
whatjessicabakednext
These look and sound absolutely delicious!
Helen
I love muffins, endlessly adaptable too!
Laura@howtocookgoodfood
This is perfect. I have my own sourdough starter and need a way to use up some of the spare leaven. My kids will appreciate these and I could do with a day of sourdough tutoring. I have taught myself and am ok but could do with getting my bread more holy as in bigger holes!
Helen
I think that the day with Vanessa made the biggest difference to Ed’s bread. And was very inspiring.
Glamorous Glutton
Sourdough muffins sound very original, I bet they’re delicious. GG
Helen
We rather enjoyed them – a nice edge to them.
Elizabeth
A fantastic No Waste Food Challenge entry, thank you! I’ve never tried making sourdough bread myself, it just seems to scary and complicated. I was given a starter once and I’m pretty sure I killed it by forgetting about it in my fridge! Must try again!
Helen
It takes time and a lot of learning to make good sourdough but it is well well worth it. Doing a course made a huge difference to Ed’s bread. I say go for it.
Lou, Eat Your Veg
Having still to make my own sour dough (but it’s right up there on my foodie want to make list!) I don’t have this problem YET. Sound super resourceful and super yummy.
Helen
I really recommend a sourdough class when you start to make it. It is a frustrating mix of both science and art, endlessly adaptable, but you do need the basics spot on.
Janie
Brilliant idea, love that you’re not wasting the spare dough.
Janie x
Helen
Lots more ideas for spare leaven coming soon!
Jacqueline Meldrum
Nice combination of flavours Helen. Perfect for breakfast!
Helen
We used to have muffins nearly every weekend for breakfast and then fell out of the habit. I love thinking up new muffin flavours.
Sarah Maison Cupcake
I think sourdough muffins are a new one on me but they sound most enticing! I will have to learn not to kill sourdough before trying these though!
Helen
Sourdough is really not that much hands on time and is ideally suited to those who work from home. I really do recommend a course however.
Anne Szadorska
Oooh this would be great to use up the last of the xmas cranberry sauce! Lovely colour!
Helen
I still have a small jar of cranberry sauce in the freezer. Endless leftovers.
Morgan @ Peaches, Please
Those muffins sound lovely. I use buttermilk in so many things like that, so I can only imagine how good they must be with sourdough starter.
Helen
I was especially pleased with these ones. If you leave the leaven in the fridge for a few days before using the flavour really develops.
Sylvia
Muffins are always a good choice! Not only they’re quick but so easy to make, especially when you’re in need of sugar ;)
Helen
I love muffins, we often have them for breakfast – you can weigh everything out the night before and quickly mix them in the morning.
Madeleine Morrow
This looks way beyond my baking skills but wow do they look good. I adore sourdough bread which I buy whenever I can get any at the farmers market and hats off to you for making your own in your household. Muffins look like gorgeous friands which I love.
Helen
The tricky part is being able to bake sourdough to be able to get the spare leaven. The muffins are very easy. I advise going on a course which will remove much of the frustrations.
Nayna Kanabar (@citrusspiceuk)
These sound perfect and they are eggless too, but where to get the leaven to start off the process???
Helen
Time to learn to make sourdough bread Nayna
Tina @ The Spicy Pear
Your sourdough muffins sound wonderful. I love bread making but always been a bit nervous of sourdough – even though I love to eat it.
Helen
Go for it Tina. Sourdough does not have to be scary.