Sometimes I have the feeling that fashions spread like waves in space. They will start and expand causing ripples even after a long time, travelling great distances. Muffins fits this pattern quite well. As a teenager in the States in the early Eighties I always wondered how little time it took till the muffins would disappear from the shelves of our school cafeteria. Sure, pizza got devoured even quicker, but it seemed to me that these little "cakes" were quite popular back then. The fact that I very seldom managed to get one, left me with an occasional irresistible urge to eat muffins that still hits me every now and then. Since I don't live in the States I don't really know if people are still that muffin crazy as then, considering the Atkins diet rage I doubt it, but I've been able to observe how the fashion, over 20 years later, has moved on to reach even the unfashionable periphery of Germany. A good indicator could be the amount of muffin books on sale here: amazon.de has 50 on sale and even the tiny selection of cookbooks on sale at my local bookstore carries 8 different titles, making up about one quarter of all the baking books on sale. Actually the muffin madness here is strongly connected to the opening of simil-Starbucks chains and goes together with the coffee and bagles fashion. Too bad that the coffee tastes burned, the bagles are almost always frozen and the muffins... well, need any spare tennis balls?
Ok maybe I'm being a bit too hard but the quality is in general quite poor. "Just cash in on the new fashion" seems to be the real undercover motto of many of these places. But seeing so many muffins on sale sure makes me feel the urge to have one with clearly disappointing results. So the only solution seems to be the old DIY. In the case of muffins that's quite OK, I mean it's not croissants right? 10-15 minutes for the dough plus an approximate 30 for baking are a time I can invest even on a busy work day once I get home. After a few tries I started having a few problems, mainly that my muffins were turning out to be a bit on the rubbery side too. The problem was not overmixing (and consequent gluten development): I always mixed only the strictly necessary time to get the dough together. Changing flour did help, but not always. The occasional rogue batch would always re-appear.
Then, in a moment of frustration, I went through my baking books and found what turned out to be the wining solution in a book I almost had forgotten. I guess that's the risk when one's a gastronomic bibliophile: too much sources to consult and inevitably one or the other gets forgotten. A bit like having an harem I guess... only kidding. The book in question is Peter Rehinardt's Crust and Crumb. It's actually the first serious "artisan" bread book I bought and used. I'm not going to give a review of it here so I'll just say that I find it a really good book for home bakers that want to move from "beginners" texts. It has loads of nice tips which I still use almost every time I bake. Plus, I know now, it has a great recipe for "base" muffin dough.
Practically all muffin recipes I followed used a standard batter method, i.e. liquid ingredients, mixed together, to which the dry ingredients are added. Reinhardt gives two possible methods:the classical batter method and the creaming method. This last method is much closer to how some cake batters are mixed together, starting by creaming butter and sugar, then adding the eggs and then remaining liquid and solid ingredients. In this way more air is incorporated in the batter. The end result is also more cake like: the muffins are lighter and rise nicely and slowly without cracking. One thing is fundamental for this method, I have to admit: an electric mixer. Ever tried creaming butter and sugar without? probably the best answer is this quote I found in Harold McGee's "On food and cooking", coming from "Miss Leslie's new cookery book" (1857) where Miss Leslie describes a technique:
OK sorry, let me correct myself mixer OR manservant.
The method:
Mix 454g (16 oz) all purpose flour, 1 1/2 tsp baking powder, 1/4 tsp baking soda and 3/4 tsp salt, sieve and set aside. Measure 280 g (10 oz) buttermilk in a bowl.
Mix 150 g (5.33 oz) butter with 340 g (12 oz) brown sugar till smooth and creamy. Then add 2 eggs, one at the time, waiting till the first is incorporated in the batter before adding the next.
start adding one third of the flour mixture to the batter, incorporate and then add one third of the buttermilk and let it become incorporated in the dough. Continue in this way till the ingredients are all mixed together. At this stage you can flavour the dough as you like. Clearly if adding dry ingredients (cocoa or bran, for example) reduce the flour and in the same way reduce the buttermilk if adding liquids.
Bake the muffins as usual.
The great thing about the dough is that it can be kept refrigerated (I tried 2 days, but 3 should be OK too) and used when needed. That's a great thing if you feel like making only a few blueberry muffins today and maybe chocolate chip tomorrow, to give an example. Or as in the not so perfect pic at the start, my new favourite, lemon and poppy seed. In the last few weeks some of the dough has often rested in my fridge. And when I feel like a muffin... throw the desired ingredients in the batter, bake and pronto! there's my oven warm muffins.
I love that instruction: "Have this done by a manservant."
This method could make a lot of things easier, muffins.
Posted by: ladygoat | April 04, 2004 at 04:18 AM
I actually think it's my favourite cooking instruction ever. It could actually be added to any recipe :o)!
Posted by: Alberto | April 04, 2004 at 12:23 PM
How do I get my muffins to dome on top. They start out okay but end up flat. Not very impressive. My recipe is 2c flour, 1 stick butter, 2 eggs, 1c sour cream, 1c sugar, 1 tsp baking soda, 1 1/2 tsp baking powder, 1 tsp extract. What can I change to improve rising?
Posted by: karen | May 13, 2004 at 09:19 PM
karen, in principle I see nothing wrong with the recipe (maybe a bit too much baking soda) but you don't say if you use a batter or creaming method. As I wrote in the post I've never had really convincing results with the batter method. With the creaming method you introduce a lot of air in the dough which helps the oven-springing responsible for those nice domes. Another problem could be the texture of your dough, if it is rather fluid (I'd guess not from your recipe, but you never know)that could be a problem too: you might add a little flour. my dough has a quite firm consistence, wet but not runny.
Posted by: Alberto | May 14, 2004 at 10:13 AM
Thanks for the comments. I use the creaming method. My dough never seems to be runny. If I were to cut back on the baking soda, what would you recommend. Also, I bake at 375 degree oven. Would that be a problem?
Posted by: Karen | May 15, 2004 at 03:52 AM
Karen, I must admit I'm a bit at loss. I would have tipped at the method but since you use the same as me that can't be the cause. I bake at 350F but I don't think it should make a big difference. Regarding the baking powder (added to neutralise the sour cram or buttermilk) I found that one doesn't need huge amounts. I'm quite sure you could reduce that to 1/2 tsp.
Posted by: Alberto | May 17, 2004 at 09:58 AM
Alberto, Thanks, once again. Your posting of 5/13 says to try cutting back of baking soda & your latest says baking powder. I'm guessing it's the baking powder I should cut back on. I've started beating the eggs a little before adding to the butter/sugar and it's helped.
Posted by: Karen | May 17, 2004 at 03:19 PM
oops... sorry karen, I meant baking soda. Don't know what I was thinking there.
Posted by: Alberto | May 17, 2004 at 04:02 PM