Homemade Blackberry Muffins with Freshly Milled Flour

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The wild blackberry bushes that grow around our property are scraggly, thorny little unfriendly things for most of the year, but in May we always get excited to see them begin to decorate themselves with little green, tight clusters of would-be berries.

As we turn the corner into June, most sweltering afternoons are punctuated with a wild thunderstorm. In the frenzy of heat, light and water, the berries become sour red, and finally deep, sweet purple.

On these afternoons, it is likely enough to find three red faced, sweaty little children in the kitchen to presenting their hard-won bounty of blackberries. It is a deposit which must be returned with interest.

Of course, the berries are perfect as they are: fresh and raw, and those who gather enjoy the perks. But isn’t everything made better with butter? (It’s a rhetorical question.)

In times past, I’ve opted for cobblers, but I decided that muffins are what we need this summer.

What I love about these muffins is the balance and the texture. Sourdough discard and sour cream bring depth of flavor and keep them wonderfully tender while acting as the perfect counter-part to the sweet, crunchy, sugary streusel. Then there’s the burst of berry and citrus. Each bite is dynamic and satisfying; tangy and bright, sour and sweet, warm and soft, velvety and buttery!

freshly milled whole wheat: a journey

If you’re familiar with cooking with your own freshly milled whole wheat, you know it behaves a little differently. It has more complex flavors, absorbs moisture differently, and each variety of wheat gives a different “crumb” or texture.

In this recipe (and most other “quick breads” where I want a light texture with plenty of moisture) I use a 1:1 combination of soft white wheat and Khorasan (also known as kamut). It’s a trusty combination that brings the best of both breeds!

If you’re using conventional flour, that’s fine too, just increase the measurements a bit, which I detail below.

now work backwards

The best way to start these muffins is at the end. The last thing you’ll want to do is bake them, so first, preheat your oven to 350° Fahrenheit.

Next make your streusel. Why? Because you need cold butter and lemon zest. And soon you’ll need lemon juice, and if you have a choice, juicing a zested lemon is more fun that zesting a juiced lemon. Trust me.

Note: Turbinado sugar cannot be beat for this job, but a close second is Azure Standards sugar, the crystals are so big and bold.

Just mix up the streusel and set it in the fridge for now. (TIP: I use my zester to grate the cold butter, and then I use it later to strain out the lemon seeds, super handy!)

Now is a good time to get your flour milled and the dry ingredients added to it. Be sure to give it a quick stir so everything is evenly distributed. If you’re using conventional all-purpose flour, just measure out 1 ½ cup or 160 grams and do the same.

After that move on to creaming your softened butter and sugar together. When it’s wonderfully whipped together, add in your eggs and other wet ingredients.

Be sure these are all entirely and evenly mixed together before proceeding, pausing to scrape down the sides of the bowl. The order of these steps is crucial for the resulting texture of your muffins.

You may mix and stir all you like at this point, but once the dry ingredients are added you must work tenderly and minimally. We don’t want to form gluten and have tough muffins!

When the butter, sugar, eggs, vanilla, lemon juice and zest, sourdough and sour cream have become a fragrant and airy batter, add in your dry ingredient mixture in a few increments, allowing it to be incorporated as you go. As soon as it has come together, stop. Gently fold in your berries.

Now fill your (lined) muffin tin with twelve even scoops of batter and top each one with your streusel topping until they look gaudy, and bake!

Really, with one or two of these warm, blackberry muffins and a cold glass of milk set before you, one can begin to wonder at the goodness of the instruction to “eat and drink and enjoy the fruit of your labor”.

What bird?

Go make yourself some muffins!