Sourdough Lemon Crinkle Cookies with Fresh Milled Flour
Nothing welcomes warm weather quite like lemon treats. These dye-free Lemon Crinkle Cookies bring the perfect balance of gentle sweetness and zest. Made with fresh milled flour and sourdough for maximum nutrition benefits, they are perfect for any hike, picnic or gathering. However, our favorite way to enjoy them is during the first planting of the spring season. After all, nothing feels more like spring than warm lemon cookies and bare feet running through fresh garden soil.
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Why You’ll Love These Lemon Crinkle Cookies
- Made with fresh milled flour
- Naturally fermented with sourdough starter
- Bright fresh lemon flavor
- Soft centers with classic powdered sugar crinkles
- Perfect for spring gatherings and picnics
- Naturally colored for a bright spring look
Why Fresh Milled Flour?
Fresh milled flour keeps the entire wheat berry intact, including the bran, germ, and endosperm. This means it delivers naturally occurring fiber, healthy fats, and essential nutrients in every bake. When you mill flour fresh, you preserve B vitamins, vitamin E, iron, zinc, and magnesium that disappear during commercial processing.
By using fresh milled flour, you support digestion, steady energy, and overall wellness — not just empty calories.
I have the NutriMill Classic. I use mine several times a week and have had no issues in over two years. It is a great, affordable grain mill.
Why Use Sourdough?
Sourdough fermentation actively breaks down complex carbohydrates and reduces phytic acid in the grain. This process helps your body absorb minerals more easily and improves digestion. The natural bacteria and wild yeast in sourdough also slow down how quickly your body processes carbohydrates, which supports balanced blood sugar.
Sourdough adds depth of flavor while improving the structure and texture of baked goods. When you combine sourdough with fresh milled flour, the two work together to create baked goods that taste better and feel more nourishing.
Lemon Crinkle cookies are the perfect snack while planting in the garden!
Ingredients You’ll Need
- Soft white wheat – soft white wheat is ideal for cookies
- Baking powder
- Baking soda
- Salt – I use pink himalayan salt, but any salt will work
- Turmeric – optional, but makes a lovely, bright yellow cookie
- Butter – softened to room temperature
- Cane sugar – you can also use regular granulated sugar
- Sourdough starter – active or discard. This is optional but I love the flavor and nutritional benefits it adds.
- Egg yolk
- Lemon juice – use fresh lemon juice, not bottled
- Lemon zest
- Vanilla extract – I love my homemade vanilla extract!
- Powdered sugar
Equipment/Ingredients I Use
- Grain Mill
- Bosch Mixer
- Sheet Pan w/ lid – I love this set that comes with lids for an easy fridge ferment
- Parchment Paper
- Cookie Scoop – I like this set, the medium is my normal cookie size. The large for jumbo and small for mini cookies.
Making Lemon Crinkle Cookies
Prepare the Dry Ingredients
Start by milling your flour. Soft white wheat works best for these cookies. Add the freshly milled flour to a bowl. Then whisk in the baking soda, baking powder, turmeric, and salt. Mix gently until everything looks evenly combined. Set the dry ingredients aside while you prepare the wet ingredients.
Mix the Wet Ingredients
In the bowl of a stand mixer, add the room-temperature butter and sugar. Cream together on medium speed for about two minutes. The mixture should look light and fluffy. Next, add the egg yolk, sourdough starter, lemon juice, lemon zest, and vanilla extract. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed. Continue mixing for two to three minutes, until the dough looks smooth, soft, and well blended.
Combine the Dough
Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients while the mixer runs on low speed. Add the flour mixture slowly to prevent overmixing. Stop mixing when the flour is just incorporated. Overmixing at this stage can create dense cookies.
Chill the Dough
Next, scoop the cookie dough using a cookie scoop. Place the dough balls on a cookie sheet with a lid. Refrigerate the dough for at least 30 minutes before baking. Chilling helps the cookies hold their shape. For a longer sourdough ferment and deeper flavor, refrigerate the dough overnight. If you prefer to roll the cookies by hand, chill the dough for 30 minutes first to make shaping easier.
Bake the Cookies
When you are ready to bake, preheat the oven to 350°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Roll each cookie dough ball in powdered sugar until coated, then place on the prepared sheets, spacing them at least two inches apart. Bake the cookies for 10 to 13 minutes. The edges should look set and slightly crisp, while the centers remain puffed up and soft.
Finally, remove the baking sheets from the oven. Let the Lemon Crinkle Cookies cool on the pan for five minutes. Then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely before serving.
Making Cookies in Advance
For a longer ferment, cover the cookie balls and place it in the refrigerator overnight or up to 2 days. This allows the sourdough to develop more flavor and supports easier digestion.
To freeze for later, flash freeze on a pan, then transfer to a freezer bag to bake later. I really like these pans with lids for flash freezing or fermenting in the refrigerator. When ready to bake simply place them on a pan straight from the fridge or freezer and bake. If baking from frozen you may need to add 5 minutes to the bake time.
Tips for Perfect Lemon Crinkle Cookies
Use room-temperature ingredients – Soft butter blends more easily and creates a smoother dough.
Chill the dough before baking – Chilling helps the cookies hold their shape and improves texture.
Watch the bake time closely – Remove the cookies when the edges feel set but the centers still look soft. While baking, the cookies will puff up. Once they cool, the cookies will flatten.
Store properly for best texture – Keep baked cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to three days.
Avoid overmixing once the flour is added – overmixing makes dense cookies
Bake just until the edges set
FAQ
Can I use discard sourdough starter?
Yes. Both active starter and sourdough discard work well in this recipe. If you do not have sourdough starter – simply omit.
What flour works best for fresh milled cookies?
Soft white wheat creates the most tender cookie texture.
Why chill the cookie dough?
Chilling helps the cookies hold their shape and improves flavor.
Sourdough Lemon Crinkle Cookies with Fresh Milled Flour
Ingredients
Dry Ingredients
- 250 g soft white wheat 2 cups
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp turmeric optional
Wet Ingredients
- 113 g butter 1/2 cup softened to room temperature
- 200 g cane sugar 1 cup
- 125 g sourdough starter 1/2 cup active or discard
- 1 egg yolk
- 3 tbsp lemon juice about 1 lemon
- 1 tbsp lemon zest about 1 lemon
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Addditional
- 60-120 g powdered sugar for rolling cookie dough balls before baking
Instructions
Prepare the Dry Ingredients
- Start by milling your flour. Soft white wheat works best for these cookies. Add the freshly milled flour to a bowl. Then whisk in the baking soda, baking powder, turmeric, and salt. Mix gently until everything looks evenly combined. Set the dry ingredients aside while you prepare the wet ingredients.
Mix the Wet Ingredients
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, add the room-temperature butter and sugar. Cream together on medium speed for about two minutes. The mixture should look light and fluffy. Next, add the egg yolk, sourdough starter, lemon juice, lemon zest, and vanilla extract. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed. Continue mixing for two to three minutes, until the dough looks smooth, soft, and well blended.
Combine the Dough
- Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients while the mixer runs on low speed. Add the flour mixture slowly to prevent overmixing. Stop mixing when the flour is just incorporated. Overmixing at this stage can create dense cookies.
Chill the Dough
- Next, scoop the cookie dough using a cookie scoop. Place the dough balls on a cookie sheet with a lid. Refrigerate the dough for at least 30 minutes before baking. Chilling helps the cookies hold their shape. For a longer sourdough ferment and deeper flavor, refrigerate the dough overnight. If you prefer to roll the cookies by hand, chill the dough for 30 minutes first to make shaping easier.
Bake the Cookies
- When you are ready to bake, preheat the oven to 350°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Roll each cookie dough ball in powdered sugar until coated, then place on the prepared sheets, spacing them at least two inches apart. Bake the cookies for 10 to 13 minutes. The edges should look set and slightly crisp, while the centers remain puffed up and soft.
- Finally, remove the baking sheets from the oven. Let the Lemon Crinkle Cookies cool on the pan for five minutes. Then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely before serving.
Notes
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