Strawberry Sourdough Muffins Crumb (Print Version)

Tender sourdough muffins bursting with fresh strawberries and a crunchy crumb topping, perfect for breakfast or snacks.

# Ingredient List:

→ Muffins

01 - 2 cups all-purpose flour
02 - 1 teaspoon baking powder
03 - 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
04 - 1/2 teaspoon salt
05 - 1/2 cup granulated sugar
06 - 1 cup sourdough starter, unfed or discard
07 - 1/3 cup vegetable oil or melted unsalted butter
08 - 2 large eggs
09 - 1/2 cup milk
10 - 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
11 - 1 1/4 cups fresh strawberries, diced

→ Crumb Topping

12 - 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
13 - 1/3 cup light brown sugar, packed
14 - 1/4 cup unsalted butter, cold and diced
15 - 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
16 - Pinch of salt

# Steps:

01 - Preheat oven to 375°F. Line a 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners or grease thoroughly.
02 - In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and granulated sugar.
03 - In a separate bowl, whisk together sourdough starter, vegetable oil or melted butter, eggs, milk, and vanilla extract until smooth.
04 - Pour wet ingredients into dry ingredients and mix gently until just combined. Do not overmix.
05 - Gently fold diced strawberries into the batter using a rubber spatula or folding motion.
06 - Divide batter evenly among muffin cups, filling each approximately three-quarters full.
07 - In a small bowl, combine flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt. Cut cold diced butter into the mixture using a fork or your fingertips until it resembles coarse crumbs.
08 - Sprinkle crumb topping generously over each muffin.
09 - Bake for 22 to 25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
10 - Cool muffins in the pan for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

# Helpful Hints:

01 -
  • Your sourdough discard finally has a purpose beyond the compost bin, and these muffins taste sophisticated without requiring any fancy technique.
  • The tang from the starter makes these taste more interesting than regular muffins, while the strawberries keep them bright and not heavy.
  • That crumb topping adds such a satisfying crunch that people always ask if you used a recipe or invented it yourself.
02 -
  • Overmixing is the one thing that will actually ruin these muffins, turning them dense and tough instead of tender—mix until you just can't see dry flour anymore and then stop.
  • If your muffins are sinking in the middle, your baking soda might be too old or you might have mixed the batter more than you thought—freshness and restraint matter equally here.
03 -
  • Weigh your flour if you possibly can—it's the difference between consistently tender muffins and occasionally dense ones, and a small kitchen scale costs less than a fancy coffee drink.
  • Keep your butter in the freezer until you're literally ready to cut it into the crumb topping; cold butter is what creates those gorgeous irregular crumbs instead of a dense, buttery paste.
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