Sourdough Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins

These sourdough banana chocolate chip muffins take only about half an hour to make. All you need are some overripe bananas, some sourdough starter discard, and chocolate chips.

I made these Sourdough Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins to use up some of my sourdough discard when getting ready to make some sourdough bread.

I hadn't used my starter in about four weeks, and it had been languishing in my refrigerator. Because I had been neglecting my starter, I needed to feed it a couple of times to get it bubbly and ready for leavening bread. What does this mean? When refreshing a starter, you will need to discard some of it unless you want it to overtake your house.

Fortunately, the sourdough discard can be just as valuable as the refreshed starter itself. It's basically a tangy batter, the consistency of pancake batter, with equal parts flour and water by weight (100 percent hydration in "bread geek" speak).

You can take any quick bread recipe that calls for flour and water, and substitute some sourdough starter by weight. It adds a wonderful tangy flavor and helps your baked goods maintain freshness.

If you don't have a sourdough starter, you can always make your own! There are many ways to start your own. You can try this relatively simple recipe from King Arthur Flour. Once you have your starter going, follow these instructions from maintaining your starter from King Arthur Flour. You may just become a bread geek like me.

These muffins were moist and delicious. They stay fresh in an airtight container for up to four days, and also freeze well for up to a month when individually wrapped and placed in a freezer bag.

Note: When I made this recipe, I got about 16 muffins, so I had to use an additional pan.

muffins, sourdough, banana, chocolate

Muffins, breakfast, quick bread

American

Yield: 12 to 15 muffinsAuthor: Karen Kerr

Sourdough Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins

ingredients

• 1 1/4 cups (156 grams) all purpose flour
• 1/2 cup (110 grams) light brown sugar
• 1/3 cup (67 grams) granulated sugar
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon (1.5 grams) kosher salt
• 1 cup (275 grams) sourdough starter discard
• 5 tablespoons neutral oil, such as canola
• 1 cup (227 grams) mashed ripe banana (about 2 bananas)
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 1 large egg (50 grams) lightly beaten
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup (170 grams) chocolate chips or chunks

instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F and line a 12 cup muffin pan with liners. (see note above, you may need more)
2. Whisk the flour, sugars, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together in a large bowl. 
3. In another bowl, mix together the starter, oil, mashed banana, sour cream, egg, and vanilla. Whisk until smooth. 
4. Add the liquid mixture to the flour mixture, folding until combined. Fold in the chocolate chips. 
5. Fill the muffin cups until 2/3 to 3/4 full. 
6. Bake the muffins for 20 to 25 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let the muffins cool in the pan for 10 minutes, and then remove them from the pan to a wire rack. 

https://www.karenskitchenstories.com/2018/09/sourdough-banana-chocolate-chip-muffins.html

Karen's Kitchen Stories

Recipe adapted from Bake from Scratch, March/April 2018. This issue has several recipes for using sourdough discard.

• Applesauce Muffins from A Day in the Life on the Farm
• Butter Cake Muffins from Food Lust People Love
• Butterscotch Apple Muffins from Farm Fresh Feasts
• Sourdough Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins from Karen's Kitchen Stories

#MuffinMonday is a group of muffin loving bakers who get together once a month to bake muffins. You can see all our of lovely muffins by following our Pinterest board. Updated links for all of our past events and more information about Muffin Monday, can be found on our home page.