Perfectly Pillowy Sourdough Cinnamon Muffins

Name: Perfectly Pillowy Sourdough Cinnamon Muffins
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 18 min
Total time: 32 min
Ingredients: 150g all-purpose flour; ¾ tsp baking powder; 1/4 teaspoon baking soda; 1.5 tsp ground cinnamon; 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg; 1/8 tsp pumpkin spice; 1/4 tsp salt; 43g butter melted; 85g brown sugar; 75g granulated sugar; 1/2 tsp vanilla extract; 3 tbsp milk; 1 egg; 175g sourdough starter – active and bubbly; 145g powdered sugar; 15g melted butter; 1 tsp vanilla; 2 tbsp milk

February 5, 2023February 5, 2023

Sourdough cinnamon muffins Recipe By: Cece Kirkwood. This post may contain affiliate links.

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These sourdough cinnamon muffins are the most cloud-like muffins I have ever baked all thanks to our dear friend, the sourdough starter. The lightness of this leavening agent, combined with just a bit of baking soda puffs the muffins up nice and high in the oven.

It is important that your starter be bubbly, active and recently fed. It need not be at its highest peak of activity, but a starter that has been fed in the last 24 hours will be the right consistency for this bake.

And the perfect mix of seasonings – loads of cinnamon and just a dash of pumpkin spice and nutmeg – will leave your taste buds satisfied, but begging for another bite, perhaps even another muffin?

I can barely wait any longer, let’s dig in.

The Process

The process for the sourdough cinnamon muffins is quite simple. First of all, pre-measure your ingredients and prepare your workspace. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees and grease your muffin tins. You may choose to line the muffin tins as well, but it is not necessary.

Next, whisk together your dry ingredients (flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, pumpkin spice, nutmeg and salt) in a large bowl. Add in melted butter, brown sugar, sugar, milk and egg. Mix well.

The batter may look a little odd now as it will be a bit thicker, almost like a cookie dough. But not to worry, pour in the sourdough starter and mix with a rubber spatula. Your batter will still be thick, but the consistency should look more like muffin batter now. Don’t forget the vanilla like I almost did here! Add the vanilla into the batter and combine!

Add batter to greased and lined muffin tins. I live for a giant muffin so I always fill them almost to the top. This gave me 6 muffins, but you can put in less batter and make more.

Bake for 16 – 18 minutes. Test with a toothpick to make sure they are ready. If the toothpick comes out clean, they are ready to go. If not, stick them back in for another minute or two.

Remove from trays and cool on a rack. While they cool, whisk together the icing ingredients in a medium sized bowl. Drizzle over the cooled muffins and devour!

The Tips

How active should the sourdough be for this recipe?

For these muffins, it is important to note that the Sourdough in this recipe is “fresh”, meaning that it has not been stored in the fridge and solidified over time – I use a discard that was recently fed and is active and bubbly.

Why is this recipe in grams?

Baking is a science and in science you want things to be exact and precise. The best way to do this is by weighing out your ingredients using a simple scale. Ever baked a cookie using the same recipe, yet somehow it turns out slightly different each time? That is because when measuring by volume, you can’t be as precise. It is vital that your ingredient ratios are accurate for a reliable bake every time.

Can I bake these muffins the night before?

Yes! You can certainly bake these the night before or even a few days before! The muffins store well in an airtight container and stay happily fresh on the counter for 4-5 days and in the fridge for at least 1 week.

The Sourdough Cinnamon Muffins Recipe

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