The Only Muffin Recipe You Might Ever Need — Three Many Cooks (2024)

FAQs

What is the most important rule to follow when baking muffins? ›

The number one rule for successful muffins is: Don't over-mix the batter. Use a rubber spatula to quickly fold (gently stir) the liquid ingredients into the dry ones. A few streaks of flour still showing is okay, especially if you plan to add in extra ingredients like fruits and nuts.

The main challenge of the muffin method is mixing the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients without activating too much gluten. This is especially challenging with traditional muffins which contain relatively little sugar and fat that would help tenderize gluten.

Overmixing the batter.

When you overmix the batter, it crushes the air bubbles and ruins the fluffy texture. → Follow this tip: To ensure a batch of light, fluffy muffins, mix the dry ingredients with the wet ingredients until just barely combined, and no more dry flour is visible.

Who Invented English Muffins? As you might expect, we have a British man to thank for the English muffin, though this tasty bakery treat was born here in the United States. In 1874, Samuel Bath Thomas emigrated from Plymouth, England, to New York and started making thinner, pre-cut crumpets while he worked in a bakery.

The idea here is to start the muffins in a very hot oven for just a short amount of time. This activates the baking powder and allows the muffins to shoot up in height quickly. We then turn the heat down and continue to cook for longer. This is done to avoid over-browning and overbaking.

Refrigerating food prevents bacterial growth effectively, especially for muffins. To keep muffins fresh, refrigerate them due to their moisture and sweetness, which can attract bacteria. While the flour absorbs the moist ingredients in the batter, the starches have a greater opportunity to expand.

It will make your muffins dense. Quickbreads and muffins are hydrating batters, which means the flour absorbs the liquid over time, resulting in a very moist muffin, and improving the flavor. So let your muffin batter rest, up to 24 hours if possible.

When making muffins, it's recommended to let the batter rest overnight in the fridge, but if you don't have time, even an hour will help, per The Kitchen Whisperer.

Let muffins cool a few minutes in the pan (follow recipe directions), then carefully remove from pan to a wire cooling rack. If the muffins stick to the pan, carefully run a small flexible metal spatula or thin-bladed knife around the sides to loosen. Muffins which are cooled in the pan too long may become soggy.

Why are my muffins soggy in the middle? ›

The oven wasn't hot enough or the muffins weren't baked for long enough. An undercooked muffin will have a center that is too moist and it doesn't peak enough.

English muffins are usually referred to simply as muffins in the UK; sweet American-style muffins are occasionally referred to as American muffins to differentiate.

English muffins are particularly high in selenium, an important mineral that acts as an antioxidant and plays a key role in regulating thyroid hormone production ( 3 ). They also contain manganese, which is necessary for your metabolism, brain function, and bone health ( 4 ).

Here are today's five thing to know about Muffin:

The word Muffin likely derives its name from the an Old German word Muffen, the plural of Muffe meaning a small cake, Muffins come in both savory varieties, such as corn or cheese muffins, or sweet varieties such as blueberry or banana.

#1 Read through the recipe

Make sure to quickly skim the recipe before you start baking to understand the general flow and key steps. You can even make notes on the recipe or highlight key points to help you along.

Never bake without measuring your ingredients. Unlike cooking, baking is first a science, then anything else. If you start adding ingredients like baking powder and sugar without measuring, it can lead to some spectacular baking disasters.

"My golden rule for baking is make it cold and bake it hot," she said. Use Grated Butter for Flakey Crust.