Chapter 31 · Quick breads, muffins and cookies
31.2 The muffin method
A muffin is the classic test of gluten. Gluten forms when two wheat proteins, gliadin and glutenin, meet liquid and are worked. A muffin batter builds gluten very easily, so every second of stirring shows in the result. see chapter 7: Flour
In short, the method has four steps.
- Blend the dry ingredients.
- Make a hollow (a well) in the middle.
- Pour the liquids in.
- Mix as little as you can.
A basic batch of muffins
This recipe makes 6 medium muffins. Baking powder is what makes it rise.
- 1 cup sifted all-purpose flour
- 1 tbsp. sugar
- 1½ tsp. baking powder
- ¼ tsp. salt
- ½ cup milk
- ½ egg, which is 2 tbsp.
- 2 tbsp. plus 1½ tsp. oil
Step by step
- Heat the oven to 425°F. Grease only the bottoms of the muffin cups.
- Sift the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt together three or four times, so they are fully blended.
- Whisk or beat the egg into the milk until it is evenly mixed, then stir in the oil.
- Put the dry mix in a large bowl and hollow out a well. Pour in all the liquid at once.
- Stir at once, with a rubber spatula or a wooden spoon, as fast as you can without splashing. Aim for 10 seconds, and never go past 20.
- Stop the moment the dry ingredients are damp. The batter should be lumpy, but you should see no dry flour.
- Scoop with a spoon, cutting the batter against the side of the bowl in one clean stroke. Hold the spoon right over the cup and push the batter off with a second spoon or a spatula. Fill each cup two-thirds full.
- Bake at 425°F for about 12 to 15 minutes, until golden brown. Leave the muffins in the pan for a minute or two before you take them out.
Notice what the scooping step protects. Every extra stir, even while filling the pan, works the gluten a little more.
Under, right and over
What a good muffin looks like
| What to look for | |
|---|---|
| Shape | Even on all sides |
| Top | Golden brown and bumpy, like the head of a cauliflower |
| Inside | Creamy white, with no tunnels |
| Grain | Even holes of medium size, with fairly thin walls between them |
| Eating | Moist and tender, with a mild, pleasant flavor |
The standard for a good muffin.
Flour and gluten
Lay out wheat flours side by side, each with a ball of gluten washed out of it.
- bread flour
- all-purpose flour
- pastry flour
- cake flour
- whole wheat flour
- rye flour
- oat flour
Record each flour's protein content and how big its gluten ball is. The muffin recipe uses all-purpose flour.
Sources
This chapter is written from these open textbooks:
- Basic Scientific Food Preparation Lab Manual — Dept. of Food Science and Human Nutrition, Iowa State UniversityCC BY-NC-SA 4.0
- Introduction to Baking and Pastries — Rink & Thibodeaux, Chef John Folse Culinary Institute, Nicholls StateCC BY-NC-SA 4.0
- Food Safety, Sanitation and Personal Hygiene — BC Cook Articulation Committee, BCcampusCC BY 4.0