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.
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
While baking, the cookies will puff up. Once they cool, the cookies will flatten.
For a brighter yellow , you can adjust the amount of turmeric.