Make-up or Mixing Methods for Muffins

When muffins aren’t perfect, the first reaction is to change the ingredients in the recipe. Rather than changing the
recipe, try a different mixing method.

There are two major makeup methods for muffins--the muffin method and the creaming method. In the creaming
method, we cream the fat (butter or shortening) with the sugar until light and then add the other ingredients. In
the muffin method, we mix the liquids and the dry ingredients separately and then stir them together until just
combined. While the recipe will specify one method or the other, there is no reason why you can’t use the other
and see which you like best.

The muffin method is quick and easy. Mix the dry ingredients together. Mix the wet ingredients together including
the eggs then add the wet mixture to the dry mixture with a spatula and you’re ready to bake. (Don’t even break
out your electric mixer—in fact, don’t use the electric mixer. Stir the two mixtures together with a spatula only
until combined—not lump free—so that the gluten in the flour will not be developed.) If the recipe calls for butter
or shortening, either substitute vegetable oilor melt the butter and add it to the liquids. (In our opinion, it is better
to use oil or melted butter than melted shortening.)

One advantage of the muffin method is that both the dry and the wet ingredients can be mixed the night before.
Store the wet ingredients in the refrigerator and then add the wet to the dry ingredients in the morning and
you’re ready to bake. You’ll save time on that busy morning.

In the creaming method, place the butter or shortening in the mixing bowl of your electric mixture. Add the
sugar, spices, and salt and cream the mixture together with the paddle attachment for the mixer. (Of course,
recipes that call for oil instead of butter or shortening cannot be creamed unless you substitute butter or
shortening.) The objective is to drive the sharp sugar crystals through the butter or shortening creating tiny voids
of air in the mixture. This entrained air will help the muffins rise.

The creaming method has two advantages: The sugar and fat are well-dispersed in the batter and the entrained
air tends to make for a light, fine crumb in the muffins.

In our experience, changing mixing methods can make a marked difference in the outcome of the muffins.

Steps in the Muffin Method

1. Whisk all the wet ingredients together including the eggs and oil or melted butter.
2. Whisk the dry ingredients together.
3. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients. Stir with a spatula until just moistened.
4. Place in tins and bake immediately as set forth in the recipe.

Steps in the Creaming Method

1. With the paddle attachment of an electric mixer, cream together the butter or shortening and sugars, spices,
and salt until light.
2. Add the eggs one at a time, creaming after each.
3. Add the liquid ingredients and stir them in. Do not over-stir or you may reduce the entrained air in the creamed
mixture.
4. Mix the flour and leavenings together and then add them to the creamed mixture. Mix until just combined.
5. Place in tins and bake immediately as set forth in the recipe.

Another Explanation:

Here’s another one of those basic mixing methods that can really mess us up.  Sure, it sounds like a day at the
beach:  Dry in one bowl.  Wet in another.  Wet on dry.  Stir, stir, and stir.  Bake and hope for the best.  But then,
you pull out some sad old flat-topped muffins that look like moles have been burrowing their way through them. 
And then, your day at the beach turns into I-left-my-sunscreen-at-home-I-lost-my-sunglasses-in-the-surf-and-
there-is-sand-in-places-it-shouldn’t-be nightmare.  How hard can it be  to make a muffin, anyway?  Slather on
some cooling aloe and let me see if I can help.
You’ve got two basic options when it comes to making muffins:  you can use The Creaming Method, or you can
use The Muffin Method.  As far as I’m concerned, the creaming method is for cakes.  What you end up with when
you use the creaming method to make a muffin is a cupcake.  Tasty and all, but just not the same thing.  So, let’s
forget the creaming method for muffins and focus on the eponymous Muffin Method.

Here’s how it works.  This is a method you do not want to use the mixer for.  Trust me, as much as you love your
stand mixer, your muffins will be better if you mix them gently by hand.  More on this in a bit.

1. Whisk the dry ingredients–low-protein flour (White Lily is a nice one if you’re in the southern US, or use cake
flour) together with salt, sugar, leavenings and any spices–together in a large bowl.

Whisk your dry ingredients together very well.  You are looking for even dispersal of the salt and leaveners.  Sifting
doesn’t necessarily do a great job of this, so whisk all the dry together thoroughly, for at least 20 seconds.  More
would be good.

2. In another bowl or a large liquid measure, combine all the wet ingredients–dairy (milk, cream, 1/2 and 1/2, sour
cream, creme fraiche), eggs, liquid fat, liquid flavorings.

Notice I said “liquid fat.”  This is one of the points where the muffin method differs from the creaming method. 
When you add the fat to the liquid, you want to make sure that all of the liquid ingredients are at room
temperature.  You want the fat to be evenly dispersed throughout the batter.  For this to happen, you’re going to
have to have the rest of the wet ingredients warm enough that the butter won’t turn hard on you the moment
you pour it in the measuring cup.

3.  Pour the wet on top of the dry and fold them gently together.

Let’s take a moment to really look at what’s going on here.  You’re trying to mix a lot of water-type ingredients
together with flour that hasn’t been coated with fat.  Remember, in the two-stage mixing method, we coated our
flour with a good amount of fat to inhibit gluten formation.  Here, we don’t have that luxury.  In the muffin
method, we are pouring a ton of wet ingredients on poor, defenseless flour.  How do we keep from having dense,
chewy muffins, then?  First, we’re using a low protein flour, so that’s a good thing–low protein equals less gluten
formation.  Second, and maybe more vital is the way that you mix these ingredients together.  When mixing wet
into naked flour with the intention of producing a tender muffin, easy does it.  You really just want to fold the
ingredients together, making sure that you limit agitation as much as possible.   Old AB says to stir for a count of
ten, but your ten and my ten might be different.  I say, fold the ingredients together until all the flour is off the
bottom of the bowl and you don’t have any big pockets of flour floating around in your batter.  The batter will be
somewhat lumpy, and it will be much thinner than a batter made with the creaming method, but you’ll just have
to trust that it’ll be okay.

4. Scoop your batter into well greased (or paper-lined) muffin tins.  Fill the cavities about 3/4 full.

At this point, if you are leavening with baking powder, you can let the batter sit for 15-20 minutes.  This gives the
flour time to properly hydrate.  It will sort of magically finish mixing itself.  Double acting baking powder gives
some rise when it gets wet and then some more when it gets hot, so your muffins will still rise in the oven, even
after sitting out for a bit.  If the recipe only calls for baking soda, skip this step, as the bubbles are all given up
when the soda gets wet.  With recipes that only call for baking soda, you want to get those little guys in the oven
as quickly as possible before the chemical reaction stops.

5. Bake at a relatively high temperature–400 or even 425 degrees, F.

So, why this high temperature?  To me, and to lots of folks, muffins are defined by their crowns–their majestic
peaks.  In order to get this to happen, you have to bake at a high enough temperature that the edges of the
muffin set pretty quickly.  The batter will set in concentric circles, from the outside, in, and as each “band” of
batter sets up, the remaining batter will continue to rise.  The last to set is the very peak.  If you bake at a lower
temperature, you will end up with a domed, rather than peaked, muffin.  If you like them domed, go for it, and
bake at a lower temperature.  Just wanted you to know the “why” behind the peak.

6. Remove from oven.  Cool in pans for about ten minutes, and then turn out to cool completely–or not.  You could
just go ahead and eat one.

After you’ve baked your muffins, you can test yourself to see if you’ve done an Excellent Job with the muffin
method.  Cut or break a muffin in half, right down the middle, from peak to bottom.  Look at the crumb.  It should
be fairly coarse but moist.  It should also be very uniform.  If you have little tunnels running up through the
muffins, you know that you were a little too exuberant in your mixing.  The tunnels show the path of air bubbles
as they passed through the batter and were caught by sheets of gluten.  The gluten then sets in that bubble-path
shape, a silent reminder of your enthusiastic mixing.

So, to recap:

 Whisk dry ingredients together thoroughly.

 Have all wet ingredients at room temp.  Not the creaming method’s magical 68 degrees, F, because you’re
not worried about the butter’s remaining plastic–it’s already melted.  By room temperature, I’m talking
probably 70-72 degrees, F.
 Fold gently.  Stop before you think you’re finished.
 Let the batter sit (baking powder only).
 Bake at a relatively high temperature.

Here’s a basic recipe to practice with.  By basic, I mean:  add any fruit, nuts, spices, zests that you want. 
Add chocolate chips.  Change up the fat–use oil.  Experiment with changing up the dairy. Top with streusel
if you want.  Make it your own.

 8 oz. low-protein flour

 3.5 oz. sugar
 2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
 1/2 teaspoon salt
 1 egg
 6 oz. whole milk
 2 1/2 oz. melted butter

Now, go make some tender muffins.  No tunnels.  Oh, and I found your sunglasses for you…