Sourdough Corn Muffins

This simple recipe for Sourdough Corn Muffins can be made with sourdough discard for a quick and easy prep, OR made with active sourdough starter for a long fermentation. These sourdough cornbread muffins pair perfectly with a comforting bowl of homemade chili, or alongside a hearty and crisp salad.

While many folks enjoy their cornbread either unsweetened or just a little bit sweetened (like my sourdough cornbread recipe), corn muffins seem to be a whole different ball game. Even though you may hear them called “cornbread muffins” from time to time, corn muffins tend to be a little more on the sweet and fluffy side.

These sourdough corn muffins are no exception, although they aren’t as sweet as something like a banana muffin. They are light, slightly sweet, and feature that signature corn-y flavor and texture we all know and love.

They pair perfectly with some chili or baked beans on a cool Winter’s day, but are just as beloved during the hot summer months when served with a crisp garden salad or crumbled on top. In short – they are the perfect side dish to your favorite meals.

Reasons to Try This Recipe

1. It’s a great way to use up sourdough discard, meaning nothing goes to waste!
2. A delicious addition to a bowl of comforting, cozy homemade chili.
3. Can be made with active sourdough starter and long fermented for all the benefits of sourdough fermentation.
4. Easy to make with no softening of butter needed – this recipe can be prepped at a moment’s notice.

Ingredients

• Cornmeal: I mean, you can’t have corn muffins without it, right?
• Flour: You’ll need some all purpose flour to mix in with the cornmeal for the muffin batter. Unbleached or regular is totally fine.
• Butter: You’ll also need some melted butter. I used salted, but you could use unsalted if you prefer.
• Honey: This adds both flavor and sweetness. You’ll want it to be pourable, so if your honey is raw or crystalized you may want to heat it gently on the stovetop first.
• Sourdough discard: You’ll need a 1/2 cup of sourdough discard (about 142g). You could use active starter if preferred. If you opt for a long fermentation, I recommend using active starter for the best results.
• Milk: Makes for a soft and moist muffin. I recommend using whole milk.
• Sugar: This supplements the sweetness of honey. I like my cornbread with a tiny bit of sugar, but cornbread muffins tend to taste better when they are sweeter.
• Eggs: You’ll also need 2 large eggs.
• Pantry staples: Just some salt and baking powder.

Equipment:

• Muffin pan: You’ll need a muffin pan for this recipe. I highly recommend USA muffin pans because they are non-stick, but silicone coated. They are also just all around great pans to work with.
• Paper liners: I always use paper liners because they make cleanup a breeze and the muffins always come out easy. I purchase unbleached parchment liners in bulk.

How to Make Corn Muffins with Sourdough Discard

This recipe is so quick and easy to make, so make sure to preheat your oven to 350ºF (177ºC) and line a 12-cup muffin pan with liners before you get started on the batter!

Once your oven is preheated, add the flour, sugar, cornmeal, salt, and baking powder to a large bowl. Whisk well to combine (I love my Danish dough whisk of course, but you can use a standard one).

Add the eggs to a separate bowl and whisk well until the yolks and whites are fully incorporated.

Add in the milk, followed by the honey. Stir well, then add in the melted butter while whisking to fully incorporate. Even though the butter should be mostly cooled, I recommend whisking while adding it as a precaution to ensure it doesn’t cause parts of the egg white to cook.

Then drizzle in the sourdough discard, and whisk just until it is fully combined.

Add the liquid ingredients into the dry ingredients, and fold everything together with a silicone spatula just until the dry ingredients are fully moistened.

Scoop the batter into the prepared muffin cups (I like to use a cookie scoop) until they are almost full. Evenly distribute the batter over all 12 muffin cups.

Bake the muffins in the preheated oven for 18-20 minutes, or until the edges are lightly browned and a toothpick comes out clean when inserted into the middle.

Remove from the oven and allow the muffins to cool in the pan for about 5 minutes before removing them and carefully transferring to a wire cooling rack.

Once the muffins are cooled enough to touch they are ready to serve. They taste delicious warm with some butter and honey, but can be enjoyed at room temperature too!

Storing and Freezing Sourdough Cornbread Muffins

If you would like to store your leftover sourdough corn muffins, first allow them to cool completely to room temperature. This prevents any condensation in the container or bag, meaning they will store for longer (and keep their texture).

Transfer your cooled muffins to an airtight container or sealed storage bag. Store them at room temperature for 2-3 days, or in the fridge for up to 5 days. Note that muffins do become dense once stored in the fridge, so it’s not the best solution, but it will give you a little bit longer storage time.

Freezing Your Muffins

1. Allow your muffins to cool completely to room temperature.
2. Transfer the muffins to an airtight container or a sealed freezer bag with excess air removed.
3. Place in the freezer in a location where they have ample room (so they don’t get crushed).
4. Freeze for up to 2-3 months.
5. Thaw before serving.

Variations and Substitutions

Jalapeno cheddar corn muffins: After mixing up the batter fold in 1/2 cup of shredded cheddar cheese and 1/4 cup of chopped pickled jalapeños.

Cheddar cornbread muffins: Fold 3/4 cup of shredded cheddar cheese into the batter, then scoop into muffin cups and bake.

Dairy free: Substitute the milk for canned coconut milk or cashew milk and the melted butter for melted coconut oil.

Long Fermentation Instructions

If you want to get the benefits of sourdough fermentation, you can make these muffins using a long fermentation. Note that you will need to swap the sourdough discard for active sourdough starter.

You have two options here – let me break it down for you.

Option 1: Short ferment followed by cold ferment

Since milk is used in this recipe and most are using a pasteurized milk, I don’t recommend doing a complete long ferment at room temperature. Instead, you will ferment for about 3-4 hours at room temperature, then transfer to the fridge for an additional 6-12 hours before adding the remaining ingredients.

1. Add the cornmeal and flour to a large bowl. Whisk to combine.
2. Add in the milk and active sourdough starter and stir until everything is moistened.
3. Cover and ferment at room temperature for 3-4 hours.
4. Transfer to the fridge and cold ferment for an additional 6-12 hours.
5. Combine the remaining dry ingredients in a bowl, and the remaining wet ingredients in another bowl.
6. Add the wet ingredients to the dry and stir just until moistened.
7. Add the combined wet and dry ingredients into the sourdough, cornmeal, and flour mixture. Stir until full incorporated.
8. Portion into muffin cups and bake as directed.

Option two: Long ferment without milk

Another option is to do a long fermentation without milk added, so instead you can do a full long fermentation at room temperature. This is done by substituting water, but the texture will not be as soft when you use water. That being said – it’s a perfectly good choice, so I wanted to offer it here.

1. Add the cornmeal and flour to a large bowl. Whisk to combine.
2. Add in 1/2 cup of warm water and 1/2 cup (stirred down; or 142g) active sourdough starter to the flour and cornmeal mixture. Stir until all of the flour and cornmeal is moistened.
3. Cover the bowl and allow to ferment for 6-8 hours at room temperature.
4. Combine the remaining dry ingredients in a bowl, and the remaining wet ingredients (don’t include the milk – that was replaced by water) in another bowl.
5. Add the wet ingredients to the dry and stir just until moistened.
6. Add the combined wet and dry ingredients into the sourdough, cornmeal, and flour mixture. Stir until full incorporated.
7. Portion into muffin cups and bake as directed.

Recipe FAQ’s

More Sourdough Muffins and Quick Breads

• Sourdough Banana Muffins
• Sourdough Applesauce Muffins
• Sourdough Banana Bread
• Sourdough Beer Bread
• Sourdough Pumpkin Muffins

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