Sourdough Zucchini Muffins [with cheese + chives]
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These delicious savory sourdough zucchini muffins with cheese and chives are oh so easy to make. But despite their simplicity, their flavor is just out of this world. You can use 150g of sourdough starter or sourdough discard in this recipe.
With the goodness of summer zucchini, plenty of flavor from a selection of cheese and of course that sourdough tang, these sourdough muffins are a must bake!
You could even replace the zucchini with shredded carrot in these savory sourdough muffins if you wanted to. I do this when zucchini is out of season.
If you are overloaded with summer zucchini, why not also try these sourdough zucchini fritters, sourdough zucchini pizza, chocolate sourdough zucchini muffins or sourdough zucchini bread or even these delicious carrot cake sourdough muffins or sourdough cornbread muffins.
If you are building a new starter, this is a great recipe to use a lot of discard in one hit (as long as your starter is at least 7 days old).
I love to serve these sourdough zucchini muffins warm with a side of cultured butter or whipped herb butter. They're also lovely topped with homemade ricotta for a hearty breakfast.
How To Make Sourdough Zucchini Muffins
Sourdough zucchini muffins are really easy to pull together. The hardest thing you'll need to do is grate and squeeze out the zucchini. I love to grate the zucchini so that the peel shines through - there's just something about that lovely green zucchini peel peaking through.
Remember not to over work the batter - stirring the mixture too much once the wet and dry ingredients are together will result in tough muffins.
- Preheat oven to 180C/350F and grease a 12 hole muffin tin with butter.
- Squeeze out all the moisture from the zucchini. I weigh out 250g and then I squeeze out the moisture. Set aside.
- Mix the sourdough starter, eggs, buttermilk and melted butter in a bowl. Whisk together until well combined.
- In a separate bowl mix together shredded zucchini, all purpose flour, salt, baking powder, 3 different cheeses and chives. Make sure that the zucchini is completely coated in flour.
- Now pour the liquid ingredient mixture into the dry ingredients. Gently fold together until just mixed - don't over mix or the muffins will be tough.
- Spoon mixture into greased muffin tin. This recipe will fill a 12 hole muffin (each hole around ¾ full).
- Bake at 180C/350F for approximately 20 minutes or until muffins are golden brown.
- Allow the muffins to cool on a rack for around 15 minutes before enjoying them. They are delicious warm or cold.
Should I Use Sourdough Discard or Sourdough Starter?
You can use either sourdough discard or freshly fed sourdough starter for this recipe.
Sourdough zucchini muffins use baking powder as their leavening agent, so it doesn't matter whether you use discard or starter. It's really just there for a flavor boost and to add some fermented goodness!
I love to give my sourdough starter a really big feed before I go to bed so that I have plenty of starter the next morning. Then I can make a batch of muffins alongside a loaf of sourdough bread.
Does Sourdough Discard Go Bad?
Discard does eventually spoil because it has no more food to feed the bacteria and yeast in the sourdough starter. The lack of food puts the discard at risk of developing mold.
Keeping sourdough discard in the fridge will give it a longer life, however because you aren't feeding it, it can develop a much stronger flavor than your sourdough starter.
Try to use up discard within a 2 week period, even if it's kept in the refrigerator.
Also, think about what you're making in relation to the age of your discard. For example, fresher discard works better in sweeter recipes. Older discard is better for savory recipes because of the flavor profile.
You could use more sour discard for this sourdough zucchini muffin recipe with no problems.
There are so many ways you can use your discard - you'll find a tonne of sourdough discard recipes here.
Best Tips for Making Sourdough Zucchini Muffins
- Don't over mix the batter. Ensure that the wet ingredients are well combined before you pour into the dry ingredients. Use a silicone spatula to just combine them. If you over mix the batter the muffins will be tough and chewy.
- Don't use sourdough discard that's really old and sour - it will give you an unpleasant flavor in your muffins. I would use discard that's up to 2 weeks old in this recipe as it's a savory recipe, but not past that.
- If you want to make these muffins, but don't have 150g of starter or discard, these instructions will show you how to increase the amount of starter you have on hand.
- If you want larger, bakery style muffins, use a larger 6 hole muffin tin for these zucchini muffins. Alternatively, just fill 10 holes of a 12 hole muffin tin to give your muffins higher peaks.
- For an extra cheesy top, sprinkle a little extra parmesan on top of the muffins before you pop them in the oven.
Flavor Variations for Sourdough Zucchini Muffins
These sourdough zucchini muffins are just delightful as they are, but as always, there are a few things you can do to make them a little different.
- If zucchini aren't in season, or too expensive, you can replace the zucchini with shredded carrot or sweet potato.
- Change out the types of cheese. You could just add all cheddar if you're making them for the kids. Use up little bits of cheese from the fridge to avoid food wastage. I also love using Havarti and Vintage Cheddar.
- Add 50g of diced, pickled jalapenos to the mixture.
- Add up to 100g of shredded carrot, corn or red capsicum to increase the veggie content - great for getting the kids (or husbands) to eat more vegetables!
- Add 100g of diced bacon or ham to the mixture. I don't cook this before hand but you can if you want to.
Can You Freeze Sourdough Zucchini Muffins?
Yes! Zucchini sourdough muffins freeze very well. I recommend lining a plastic container with parchment paper and placing the cooled muffins on top, ensuring they are not touching each other. Place the lid on and store in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Allow them to defrost at room temperature. You can microwave them for a few seconds if you want them to be warm, but not too long or they will be rubbery.
Frequently Asked Questions
The best way to shred zucchini for muffins is using a box grater. There is no need to peel the zucchini. Slice the end off and then slice the zucchini at an angle to ensure the skin or peel is evenly distributed throughout the shred. Always remember to squeeze out the excess moisture before adding to the muffin mixture.
Here are the reasons your zucchini muffins may not have risen:
1. You may have forgotten to add a rising agent like baking powder or self rising flour. This is essential for ensuring your zucchini muffins rise.
2. Check that your leavening agent is in date and fresh.
3. Also consider the other ingredients. Adding too much zucchini or cheese could mean that your muffins are too heavy. You can overcome this by increasing the amount of leavening agent you use.
Over mixing the wet and dry ingredients together can make zucchini muffins crumby, as can adding too much liquid. Make sure you mix the liquid ingredients first and then add to the dry ingredients for the best result.
Want More Recipes?
If you're loving these sourdough zucchini muffins with cheese and chives, then you're going to love these too!
- Sourdough zucchini fritters
- Sourdough zucchini bread
- Savory Sourdough Pancakes (inspired by Japanese Okonomiyaki)
- Sourdough sweet Potato & Chickpea Fritters
Sourdough Zucchini Muffins [with cheese + chives]
Equipment
- Mixing Bowl
- Digital Scales
- 12 Hole Muffin Tin
Ingredients
Wet Ingredients
- 150 g Sourdough Starter Discard or Active Starter
- 2 Eggs
- 50 g Melted Butter
- 50 g Buttermilk or milk or sour cream (see notes)
Dry Ingredients
- 250 g Zucchini Finely shredded or grated (approx. 1 medium zucchini).
- 150 g All Purpose Flour
- 6 g Baking Powder (1 tsp)
- 8 g Salt
- 70 g Feta Cheese Crumbled (see notes)
- 30 g Parmesan Cheese Shredded (see notes)
- 100 g Cheddar Cheese Shredded (see notes)
- 15 g Fresh Chives Finely chopped
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 180C/350F and grease a 12 hole muffin tin with butter.
- Squeeze out all the moisture from the zucchini. I weigh out 250g and then I squeeze out the moisture. Set aside.
- Mix the sourdough starter, eggs, buttermilk and melted butter in a bowl. Whisk together until well combined.
- In a separate bowl mix together shredded zucchini, all purpose flour, salt, baking powder, 3 different cheeses and chives. Make sure that the zucchini is completely coated in flour.
- Now pour the liquid ingredient mixture into the dry ingredients. Gently fold together until just mixed - don't over mix or the muffins will be tough.
- Spoon mixture into greased muffin tin. This recipe will fill a 12 hole muffin (each hole around ¾ full).
- Bake at 180C/350F for approximately 20 minutes or until muffins are golden brown.
- Allow the muffins to cool on a rack for around 15 minutes before enjoying them. They are delicious warm or cold.
Notes
Nutrition
