Tangy and zesty sourdough lemon poppy seed muffins bursting with fresh lemon flavor and a hint of nutty sweetness from the poppyseeds. These muffins are sure to make your taste buds dance with delight.
These flavorful muffins are surprisingly easy to make, perfect for a lazy Sunday morning brunch or a tasty afternoon snack.
The crunchy poppyseed topping adds a satisfying texture and a sweet, nutty flavor, while the light and airy texture of the muffin itself comes from whisking together the wet and dry ingredients separately.
I love making muffins for breakfast or snacks. Start them the night before, let them ferment overnight, and then bake them in the morning. Warm homemade muffins first thing in the morning. No one will complain, I promise.
So grab your apron and a bowl, and let the fun begin as you create a batch of delicious and unique sourdough lemon poppyseed muffins.
Why you will love this recipe:
Great way to use extra sourdough discard. Especially if you are just getting started with sourdough recipes and are still in the thick of the frequent feedings.
Can be long fermented for better digestion and nutrition. Not only are fermented grains easier to digest but the phytic acid is also broken down during the process making the nutrients available in the grains more bioavailable for your body to absorb.
Delicious muffins. Yummy burst of fresh lemon flavor and crunchy poppy seeds with a sweet glaze.
Tips:
- These sourdough muffins can be made quick or long fermented.
- The lemon drizzle over top adds the more delicious sweet flavor. You can totally opt out if you want, but it is so good.
- If you are opting for the dairy free version using water and oil, I would suggest using a touch less oil. I tested it and they were absolutely delicious. More like cake, but on the moist side.
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Tools you may need:
Stand mixer with paddle attachment, a mixing bowl with a hand mixer, or just a whisk will work. I suggest using a stand mixer if you are going to long ferment the muffin batter.
Measuring cup
Ice cream scoop: This is totally optional, but it makes scooping the muffin batter into the muffin pan super simple and perfectly even.
Muffin liners
Kitchen scale (if wanting to measure in grams)
Ingredients
All purpose flour
Baking powder and Baking soda – This is what gives the muffins their rise.
Poppy seeds
Sugar
Salt
Wet Ingredients:
Sourdough starter discard – You could also use an active sourdough starter if that is what you have on hand. If using the quick version, active starter will not give you a tangy of a flavor.
Milk – You can also use water for a dairy free version.
Unsalted butter – For a dairy free version, you could swap the butter out for melted coconut oil, avocado oil, or even olive oil.
Eggs
Fresh lemon juice – This adds the most delicious fresh lemon flavor. If you are in a pinch bottled lemon juice will also work. I just find fresh lemons to taste better.
Vanilla extract – Homemade or store-bought
Lemon Glaze
Powdered sugar
Fresh lemon juice
How To Make Sourdough Lemon Poppyseed Muffins – Quick Version
Preheat your oven to 400 F and prepare your muffin tins. You can either use paper liners, or grease them with cooking spray or coconut oil rubbed inside each tin.
In a large bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, poppy seeds, sugar and salt.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the sourdough starter, milk, melted butter, eggs, lemon juice and vanilla until well incorporated.
Slowly add the dry ingredients to the starter mixture and gently combine. Be careful not to over mix.
Spoon the batter into the prepared muffin tins.
Bake for 20 minutes, or until a toothpick (or cake tester) inserted in the middle comes out clean. The edges of the sourdough lemon poppy seed muffins should start to turn golden brown.
Remove to a wire rack to cool.
For the glaze, whisk the powdered sugar and lemon juice in a small bowl until combined. You can either drizzle it over the top with a spoon, or add it to a piping bag. I use a ziplock bag with the corner clipped off.
Enjoy!
Long Ferment Option 1
This is what I typically do, and the muffins in the photos were made this way with a 12 hour ferment.
The night before, add the all purpose flour, sourdough starter, and milk to a bowl and combine.
Cover with plastic wrap, a tight lid, or a beeswax wrap. Allow to sit at room temperature for 8-12 hours.
The next day, preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Add in the baking powder, baking soda, sugar, salt, butter, eggs, lemon juice and vanilla to the fermented batter.
Bake for 20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.
Remove to a wire rack to cool.
Note: if you are uncomfortable with leaving out milk overnight, you could substitute with water.
Long Ferment Option 2
I am comfortable allowing the milk to sit out for a lengthy period of time, but this is milk from our farm that we trust. Use discretion here. If you prefer to ferment in the refrigerator, you can mix up the entire batter with all of the ingredients from the original instructions, and put it covered in the fridge for 12 hours or up to 2 days
Storage:
Store in an airtight container at room temperature for 5-7 days. Freeze for longer term storage.
FAQ:
One, it is an easy way to use up any extra sourdough discard you may have. Also, it adds a delicious tangy flavor and can be long fermented for health benefits.
You can use sourdough discards in so many ways. From pizza, to english muffins, to pancakes, bread and more. Check out these 35+ sourdough recipes.
Sourdough starters can be used to provide subtle flavor, texture, and leavening to baked goods. Bakers use the starter to make a variety of breads, including pizza crusts, sandwich breads, focaccia, and flatbreads. The sourdough starter not only adds flavor to the end product, it also improves the digestibility of the baked goods. With its versatility and high nutrient content, sourdough is an ideal baking ingredient for creating unique and delicious recipes.
Find More Sourdough Muffin Recipes:
- Sourdough Blueberry Muffins
- Chocolate Zucchini Muffins
- Sourdough Pumpkin Muffins
- The Best Sourdough Banana Muffins
- Sourdough Carrot Muffins
If you try this recipe and love it, I would love if you could come back and give it 5 stars! Tag me on Instagram @farmhouseonboone
Sourdough Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins
Ingredients
- 2 cups all purpose flour, 280 grams
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 2 tablespoons poppy seeds
- 1 cup sugar, 200 grams
- 1/2 teaspoon salt, 2 grams
- 1/2 cup sourdough discard, 142 grams
- 1 cup milk, 236 grams
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted (120 grams)
- 2 large eggs
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
Glaze
- 1 cup powdered sugar, 113 grams
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
Instructions
Quick Version:
- Preheat your oven to 400 F and prepare your muffin tins. You can either use paper liners, or grease them with cooking spray or coconut oil rubbed inside each tin.
- In a large bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, poppy seeds, sugar and salt.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the sourdough starter, milk, melted butter, eggs, lemon juice and vanilla until well incorporated.
- Slowly add the dry ingredients to the starter mixture and gently combine. Be careful not to over mix.
- Spoon the batter into the prepared muffin tins.
- Bake for 20 minutes, or until a toothpick (or cake tester) inserted in the middle comes out clean. The edges of the sourdough lemon poppy seed muffins should start to turn golden brown.
- Remove to a wire rack to cool.
- For the glaze, whisk the powdered sugar and lemon juice in a small bowl until combined. You can either drizzle it over the top with a spoon, or add it to a piping bag. I use a ziplock bag with the corner clipped off.
- Enjoy!
Long Ferment Option 1:
- This is what I typically do, and the muffins in the photos were made this way with a 12 hour ferment.
- The night before, add the all purpose flour, sourdough starter, and milk to a bowl and combine.
- Cover with plastic wrap, a tight lid, or a beeswax wrap. Allow to sit at room temperature for 8-12 hours.
- The next day, add in the baking powder, baking soda, sugar, salt, butter, eggs, lemon juice and vanilla.
Long Ferment Option 2:
- I am comfortable allowing the milk to sit out for a lengthy period of time, but this is milk from our farm that we trust. Use discretion here. If you prefer to ferment in the refrigerator, you can mix up the entire batter with all of the ingredients from the original instructions, and put it covered in the fridge for 12 hours or up to 2 days
Notes
- Note: if you are uncomfortable with leaving out milk overnight, you could substitute with water.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Very delicious and moist muffin! I used the quick method as I was in a hurry to use up some discard. I had too much batter for 12 muffins though, I may have messed up in the discard amount, 1/2c (142g), which I weighed. Your other recipes say 1/2c of starter weighs (112g) so not sure if this was the problem. Is it because its discard that it weighs more?
Thanks for the recipe.
Discard does weigh more that active starter. As long as they tasted good and were fluffy, I think you are all good.
I am planning on following the “long ferment option 2” instructions. I want to add fresh raspberries. When would you add them – before putting the batter in the refrigerator? Or the next morning/right before baking?
Also, is it possible to substitute baby oats (e.g. 1/4 pr 1/2 cup) for the AP flour? Thanks!
I would add them the next day before baking. I’ve not tried using baby oats, but you could definitely try it and see how it works out.
Hi Lisa, thanks so much for your recipes and videos, they have made me confident baking with sour dough.
I have a question with muffins, when I long ferment them they seem to turn out a bit tough. I’m guessing this is from over mixing them but I try to mix as little and as gently as possible. Do you have any ideas of how I can get a lighter softer muffin?
I’ve not personally tried this, but adding a touch of apple cider vinegar or lemon juice can help to get muffins fluffier and lighter. You may try incorporating that after the fermentation.
I made these tonight and they are absolutely amazing!!! I added some lemon zest to the icing. Also I made 6 muffins and a loaf of lemon poppy seed bread. The bread took almost 40 minutes to bake.
Awesome! Thanks for sharing!
Tried these this morning, turned out great. I did with the fast option without the long fermentation and with an active sourdough and not the discard. They rose like cute tiny mountains in the oven and stayed that way! I have had many times problems with the muffin dough that they rise but then come down, so no problem with this one! I left out the sugar topping and we ate them as breakfast – so no too sweet in the morning, was perfect!
Sonja
Blue Tea Tile
blueteatile.com
Glad you enjoyed them!
Can I use my einkorn sourdough starter and flour instead? Didn’t know if it would need to be tweaked.
I have not tried these with einkorn yet, but you would likely need to make some adjustments. It may take less liquid or need more flour. let us know if you try it!
I’ve only ever made them
With einkorn, and felt they were always a but dry. Lots of crumbles all over. Maybe need to up the butter a bit?
I used this recipe to make cranberry orange muffins- just omitted the poppyseed, replaced lemon juice with the juice of an orange (well clementines were all I had) and some zest, and added fresh cranberries. Yum! They were fabulous!
My family absolutely loves these muffins!! Thank you for such a fabulous recipe! Your recipes and videos have given me the confidence and ability to make successful and delicious sourdough bakes, and that has been a years-long goal of mine. Thank you, again! One tip for those, like me, who are baking at a high altitude: add 1/4 cup extra flour so the muffins will dome. 🙂 I welcome any other tips anyone might have about baking at high altitudes (we are at 5800 feet here in central Utah!).
So glad you enjoyed this recipe! IT’s one of our favorites!
Can the muffins be frozen? Or can the recipe be slashed in half or into a 1/4?
Yes, you can freeze them!
This is delicious!! I did the long ferment option 2 for almost 24 hours on the counter. I subbed honey for sugar and reduced the milk because of the added liquid from the honey. So good. This made it fully fermented and without sugar which we can’t have. Thanks Lisa!
That is great! That sounds like a delicious substitution.
Do you happen to remember how much honey you used, and how much milk you subtracted? We try to avoid sugar, and I popped on here looking for how to sub honey! xo
How much honey did you substitute and how much milk did you eliminatefor the lemon poppyseed muffins?