Sourdough Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins

[Emily's note: Naomi is at is again with her sourdough goodness! These sourdough lemon poppy seed muffins are next level. If you haven't seen the other posts in this series (and especially if you feel the teensiest bit intimidated by sourdough – start here. ]

While we usually think of sourdough in terms of bread, sourdough fermentation can be applied to a number of different flour based goods, such as pancakes and muffins, like these sourdough lemon poppy seed muffins.

Using a slow fermentation always makes me feel like I am doing less work because the work is divided up. For example, you can mix up these muffins at night, add in a few more ingredients in the morning, and pop them in oven to bake as you get ready for the day. The result is a lemon poppy seed muffin that is both delicious and good for you, with all the benefits of sourdough.

The texture of a sourdough muffin is a little different from conventional muffins, mainly because it doesn't have a sticky sugar laden soft outside. They are sweet enough to be a treat but not so sweet as to send you into a sugar coma.

The sourdough taste factor is controlled by how sour your starter is to begin with (more frequent feedings equals sweeter starter) and how long you leave the dough to ferment. To make the muffins still acceptable to non-sourdough eating tastebuds, I usually leave the batter about 8 hrs, although you can leave yours longer of course.

The easiest flour to use is (organic) all purpose wheat flour. I've made muffins with rye flour before, and while they taste good they are softer and don't hold the classic muffin dome shape. Spelt flour is also possible, but you'll want to cut the fermentation to about four hours, as spelt retains water differently than wheat and becomes gooey if fermented too long.

Warning: highly addictive. You may not be able to eat just one.

Sourdough lemon poppy seed muffins

• 1/2 cup sourdough starter (here's how to make one)
• 1/2 cup honey
• 2 teaspoons lemon zest, grated
• 4 tablespoons lemon juice, freshly squeezed
• 1/3 cup melted butter, ghee, or coconut oil
• 2 tablespoons poppy seeds
• 2 cups all purpose flour
• 2 eggs, preferably from pasture-raised hens
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 cup water or milk

Sourdough lemon poppy seed muffin method

1. The day or evening before, stir together sourdough starter, honey, melted butter, juice and rind of two lemons, and poppy seeds. Add flour and mix. Cover from the air (I find a large plate the sits within a large mixing bowl works well). Let sit 8-12 hrs.
2. When ready to make the muffins, preheat oven to 350F/180C. Whisk eggs. Sprinkle salt and baking soda into the water or milk and whisk, then add to eggs.
3. Pour egg mixture into flour mixture and stir until smooth.
4. Spoon batter into a greased or lined muffin tin. I filled mine more than 3/4 full – pretty much to the top of silicone liners.
5. Bake for half an hour or until golden brown. Take out of oven and allow to cool. Enjoy!

What sourdough goodie would you like to try next?
Let us know in the comments below!

The closest Naomi has gotten to her dream farm is growing live bacteria in jars and wrangling her four children, including twins. A Canadian who now lives in Slovakia, Naomi writes about traditions, food, and life in Slovakia (as well as some pretty strange food) at Almost Bananas.

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