Sourdough Discard Veggie Pizza Muffins

Name: Sourdough Discard Veggie Pizza Muffins
Prep time: 25 min
Cook time: 23 min
Total time: 48 min
Yield: 12 servings
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 2 cups (240 g) all-purpose flour, spooned into the cup and leveled; 2 tsp (8 g) baking powder; ½ tsp (3 g) baking soda; ¾ tsp (4 g) fine salt; 2 tsp (2 g) dried oregano, crushed between your fingers; 1 tsp (3 g) garlic powder; 1 cup (240 g) sourdough discard, unfed, 100% hydration, stirred; ¾ cup (180 ml) whole milk, at room temperature; ⅓ cup (80 ml) extra-virgin olive oil; 2 whole (100 g) large eggs, at room temperature; ¼ cup (60 g) pizza or tomato sauce, thick, not watery; 1 cup (150 g) red or green bell pepper, cut into ¼-inch (6 mm) dice and patted dry; ¼ cup (40 g) red onion, finely diced and patted dry; 1 cup (113 g) low-moisture mozzarella, shredded; ¼ cup (25 g) Parmesan cheese, finely grated; ¼ cup (60 g) pizza or tomato sauce, thick, not watery; ½ cup (57 g) low-moisture mozzarella, shredded; ½ tsp (½ g) dried oregano, for sprinkling (optional)

From the MyKitchenBank Kitchen

Tender, tangy savory muffins made with unfed sourdough discard, studded with bell pepper, onion and mozzarella, then finished with a spoonful of pizza sauce and melted cheese on top. A great way to use up discard for lunchboxes and snacks.

Prep: 25 min
Cook: 23 min
Wait: 10 min
Total: 58 min
Makes: 12 standard muffins

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Ingredients

12 servings

For the muffins
2 cups (240 g) all-purpose flour, spooned into the cup and leveled
2 tsp (8 g) baking powder
½ tsp (3 g) baking soda
¾ tsp (4 g) fine salt
2 tsp (2 g) dried oregano, crushed between your fingers
1 tsp (3 g) garlic powder
1 cup (240 g) sourdough discard, unfed, 100% hydration, stirred
¾ cup (180 ml) whole milk, at room temperature
⅓ cup (80 ml) extra-virgin olive oil
2 whole (100 g) large eggs, at room temperature
¼ cup (60 g) pizza or tomato sauce, thick, not watery
1 cup (150 g) red or green bell pepper, cut into ¼-inch (6 mm) dice and patted dry
¼ cup (40 g) red onion, finely diced and patted dry
1 cup (113 g) low-moisture mozzarella, shredded
¼ cup (25 g) Parmesan cheese, finely grated
For the topping
¼ cup (60 g) pizza or tomato sauce, thick, not watery
½ cup (57 g) low-moisture mozzarella, shredded
½ tsp (0.5 g) dried oregano, for sprinkling (optional)

Equipment (10)

12-cup standard muffin pan (½-cup / 120 ml cups)
12 paper or silicone liners, or nonstick spray
Large mixing bowl
Medium mixing bowl
Whisk
Rubber spatula
Cutting board and knife
Box grater (if shredding cheese)
¼-cup (60 ml) cookie scoop or measuring cup
Wire cooling rack

Steps

Before you start

Use unfed sourdough discard at about 100% hydration (equal weights flour and water), straight from the fridge or at room temperature. It can be any age, but if it smells sharply of acetone, expect a stronger tang.
Take the eggs and milk out of the fridge 20–30 minutes ahead so the batter mixes smoothly.
Shred your own low-moisture mozzarella from a block if you can; fresh mozzarella is too wet and will make soggy muffins.
Pat the diced vegetables dry so they don't add extra water to the batter.

1
Heat oven, prep panOven 375°F / 190°C
- Position a rack in the center of the oven and heat to 375°F (190°C).
- Line a 12-cup standard muffin pan with paper or silicone liners, or grease each cup well with nonstick spray.
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Ready when: Oven reads 375°F (190°C) and the pan is ready to fill.
Tip: Paper liners can stick to cheesy muffins; lightly spraying them helps.
2
Dice and dry vegetables
- Cut the bell pepper into ¼-inch (6 mm) dice and finely dice the red onion.
- Spread both on a clean towel or paper towels and press to blot off surface moisture.
- Shred the mozzarella if needed and divide it: 1 cup (113 g) for the batter and ½ cup (57 g) for the topping.
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Ready when: Vegetable pieces are small, even and feel dry to the touch.
Tip: Keep the dice small; big chunks make the muffins crumble when you bite them.
3
Whisk dry ingredients
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, oregano and garlic powder for 20–30 seconds until the seasonings are evenly distributed and there are no lumps.
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Ready when: Mixture looks uniformly speckled with green herbs.
4
Mix wet ingredients
- In a medium bowl, whisk the sourdough discard, milk, olive oil and eggs until smooth and no streaks of egg remain, about 1 minute.
- Whisk in ¼ cup (60 g) pizza sauce until the mixture is evenly pink-orange.
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Ready when: Mixture is smooth, uniform in color and pourable.
Tip: If the olive oil separates, whisk again just before combining.
5
Fold batter together
- Pour the wet mixture into the dry ingredients.
- With a rubber spatula, fold about 10–12 strokes, just until most of the flour disappears.
- Add the bell pepper, onion, 1 cup (113 g) mozzarella and the Parmesan, and fold 4–5 more strokes until evenly distributed.
- The batter will be thick and scoopable, like a thick pancake batter.
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Ready when: No dry flour pockets remain; a few small lumps are fine.
Tip: Don't overmix, or the muffins turn tough and rubbery.
6
Fill muffin cups
- Use a ¼-cup scoop or measuring cup to portion about 2 scoops (roughly ½ cup / 110 g) of batter into each cup, filling them to just below the rim.
- Smooth the tops lightly with the back of a spoon.
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Ready when: All 12 cups are filled evenly, about three-quarters to fully full.
Tip: Make sure vegetable pieces aren't sticking up too far; they can brown or scorch.
7
First bakeOven 375°F / 190°C
- Bake the muffins at 375°F (190°C) for 18 minutes, rotating the pan front to back at the 9-minute mark if your oven bakes unevenly.
- The tops should be set and pale golden but not yet fully browned.
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Ready when: Tops are set and spring back slightly when pressed; edges are lightly golden.
Tip: Avoid opening the oven in the first 10 minutes so the muffins rise well.
8
Top and finish bakingOven 375°F / 190°C
- Quickly pull out the pan.
- Spoon about 1 teaspoon of pizza sauce onto the center of each muffin (¼ cup / 60 g total), then sprinkle with the ½ cup (57 g) mozzarella and a pinch of oregano if you like.
- Return to the 375°F (190°C) oven for 5 more minutes.
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Ready when: Cheese is melted and bubbling with golden spots, and a toothpick in the center comes out clean (not counting melted cheese or sauce); internal temperature reads 205°F (96°C).
Tip: Keep the sauce topping thin so it doesn't slide off or make the tops soggy.
9
Cool and release
- Set the pan on a wire rack for 5 minutes.
- Run a small knife around the edge of each muffin, lift them out, and cool on the rack for another 5 minutes before eating so the cheese sets.
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Ready when: Muffins lift out easily and are warm, not piping hot.
Tip: Don't leave them in the hot pan longer than 5 minutes or the bottoms will steam and turn soggy.

Good to know

Tips

Use thick pizza sauce. Thin sauce adds extra water and can make the crumb gummy.
Shred mozzarella yourself; pre-shredded cheese is coated in starch and can make the batter drier.
For crispier cheesy edges, grease the muffin cups directly instead of using paper liners.
Active discard works too: a fed, bubbly starter gives a slightly lighter crumb with less tang.

Make ahead

"Mix the dry ingredients and prep the vegetables and shredded cheese up to 1 day ahead; store the vegetables and cheese covered in the fridge. Combine and bake just before serving, as the baking powder begins working once wet. Fully baked muffins can also be made 2 days ahead and reheated."

Storage & reheating

"Room temperature: up to 2 hours after baking. Fridge: store airtight for up to 4 days. Freezer: freeze cooled muffins on a tray, then bag for up to 3 months. Reheat refrigerated muffins at 350°F (175°C) for 8–10 minutes, or frozen ones for 15–18 minutes, until hot in the center; or microwave one muffin for 20–30 seconds (refrigerated) or 45–60 seconds (frozen)."

Substitutions

all-purpose flour → Half whole wheat flour (120 g) and half all-purpose flour (120 g). Gives a nuttier, slightly denser muffin; add 1–2 tablespoons extra milk if the batter seems stiff.
whole milk → Unsweetened plain plant milk or buttermilk. Same amount (180 ml). Buttermilk adds extra tang.
red or green bell pepper → Diced zucchini (squeezed dry), mushrooms or sliced black olives. Use the same volume; squeeze or blot well to keep the batter from getting wet.
extra-virgin olive oil → Melted butter or neutral oil. Use the same amount; butter adds richness and olive oil adds a more savory flavor.