Easy Sourdough Rhubarb Muffins | A Discard Recipe
Tart rhubarb bites folded into a light and tender sourdough batter, made with buttermilk and discard for the perfect sourdough muffins.
Want to Save This Recipe?
Enter your email & I'll send it to your inbox. Plus, get great new recipes from me every week!
By submitting this form, you consent to receive emails from Lockrem Homestead
Equipment
- muffin pan
- mixing bowl
- spoon
- kitchen scale optional
- muffin liners optional
- Cutting Board
- sharp knife
Ingredients
Wet Ingredients
- 125 g sourdough discard ½ cup
- 100 g neutral oil ½ cup
- 300 g sugar 1½ cups
- 42 g unsalted butter 3 tbsp
- 2 large eggs
- 1 ½ tsp vanilla extract
- 190 g rhubarb 1½ cups
- 125 g buttermilk ½ cup
- 3 tbsp turbinado sugar
Dry Ingredients
- 210 g all purpose flour 1¾ cups
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 ½ tsp baking powder
Instructions
Prep
- Preheat the oven to 425°F/218°C.
- Grease or line a standard muffin tin with muffin liners.
- Wash the rhubarb stalks. Trim the ends and leaves and discard. Cut the rhubarb into 1/2 inch pieces. if the stalk is thin, you can chop the stalk as-is! If the stalk is thick, cut the stalk in half lengthwise before cutting the pieces.
- Melt the butter.
Mix Batter
- Add 125 g (½ cup) sourdough starter discard, 100 g (½ cup) oil, 42 g (3 tbsp) melted butter, 300 g (1½ cups) sugar, 2 eggs, and 1½ tsp vanilla extract to a medium bowl. Mix with a handheld mixer until fully combined.
- In a separate bowl, add 210 g (1¾ cups) all-purpose flour, 1½ tsp baking powder, and ½ tsp salt. Whisk until the baking powder and salt are evenly distributed in the flour.
- Alternatively, add the flour mixture and 125 g (½ cup) buttermilk to the wet ingredients, starting and ending with the flour mixture.Why alternate adding the flour mixture with the milk? It all has to do with the fat. The oil, butter, and sugar mixture won’t absorb much liquid. If you begin with the milk, or worse, even add it all, the butter becomes saturated and separates, keeping the liquid on top. Once you add the dry ingredients, they absorb all of the liquid, creating a heavy cake instead of a light and airy cake.
- Fold in 130 g (1½ cups) cut rhubarb pieces.
Bake
- Fill each muffin cup with muffin batter until ¾ full. Sprinkle the tops with 3 tbsp turbinado sugar.
- Place the muffins in the oven and bake for 5 minutes. Reduce the temperature to 400°F/204°C and bake for an additional 13-15 minutes.
- The muffins are done when the top springs back when lightly pressed, and a toothpick inserted into the middle of the rhubarb muffin comes out with just a few moist crumbs.
- Place the muffins on a wire rack to cool.
Notes
How to Store Rhubarb Muffins
Like all baked goods, these sourdough rhubarb muffins are best the day they're baked. Allow the muffins to cool completely before placing in an airtight container. Store at room temperature for up to 5 days. The sugar topping will soften the longer the muffins are stored.Can Rhubarb Muffins be Frozen?
Sourdough rhubarb muffins are great frozen. I like to bake a double batch. One to enjoy now, and the other to stash in the freezer for another day! Allow the rhubarb muffins to cool completely and place them into a freezer bag. Remove as much air as possible, label with the date and name, and move to the freezer. Note that the sugar topping will weep as it thaws, so it's best to bake without the sugar topping if you know you're going to freeze the muffins.How Do I Prepare Rhubarb for Baking?
Wash any dirt off of the rhubarb stalks. Trim the root end and the large leaf and discard. Similar to celery, rhubarb is stringy and can be challenging to make clean cuts. Use a sharp knife and a wooden cutting board and cut the rhubarb stalks into whatever size your recipe calls for. Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.Nutrition
Calories: 139kcalCarbohydrates: 28.5gProtein: 1.5gFat: 2.3gSaturated Fat: 1.4gPolyunsaturated Fat: 0.1gMonounsaturated Fat: 0.6gTrans Fat: 0.1gCholesterol: 5.8mgSodium: 108.4mgPotassium: 54.3mgFiber: 0.5gSugar: 19.1gVitamin A: 80.5IUVitamin C: 0.8mgCalcium: 39.4mgIron: 0.6mg
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
