American Muffins Recipe

There are two types of muffins: English and American.

English Muffins are made from a yeast dough that is formed into rounds, cooked on a griddle, toasted, split and buttered.  They are relatively flat with a golden-brown top and bottom and a light, spongy interior.

Muffins began as a yeast bread but American muffins have evolved to be a cross between a bread and a cake and a chemical leavener (baking powder/soda) is now used instead of yeast.  A basic muffin recipe contains flour, sugar, baking powder/soda, eggs, fat, and milk (buttermilk, yogurt, sour cream).  Fruit, nuts, chocolate, vanilla extract, spices, cornmeal, bran, oats are some of the flavorings that can be added.  A streusel topping or glaze not only adds flavor and texture but can transform a plain basic muffin into something special.

The 'perfect' American Muffin is symmetrical with a domed top.  The surface of the muffin should be bumpy and the volume of the batter should have almost doubled during baking.  The muffin should feel light for its size and when cut in half its interior should be moist and tender with no tunnels.  American muffins can be either sweet or savory and are traditionally served warm for breakfast.  They are best eaten the day they are made or frozen.

There are two types of muffins: bread-like and cake-like.  Each type has its own technique for mixing the batter.  Less sugar and butter makes a bread-like muffin.  A higher sugar and butter content makes a cake-like muffin.  Once you determine which type of muffin you prefer, choosing recipes to try becomes easier.

BATTERS

The bread-like muffin batter is made using the "muffin method".  This batter can be assembled and baked 'quickly', usually in 20-25 minutes.  Only two bowls are needed to make the batter.  One bowl is used to mix all the dry ingredients together.  The second bowl contains all the wet ingredients.  The fat used with the bread-like muffins is usually in liquid form, either an oil or melted butter.  When the wet and dry ingredients have been mixed together separately, then they are combined.  The important step here is not to overmix the batter.  However, there is a tendency to over mix because the ratio of liquid to flour is quite high.  But mixing too much overdevelops the gluten in the flour which will cause a tough muffin with tunnels and a compact texture.  Only 10 to 15 strokes are needed to moisten the  ingredients and the batter should be still lumpy and you may still see a few traces of flour.  Don't worry about these lumps as the batter continues to blend as it bakes and any lumps will disappear.  Note:  Over mixing the muffin batter causes it to become very stringy.  This is the gluten developing in the flour.  Over mixing causes long strands of gluten to form making it hard for the leavener to work and causes long tunnels in the baked good. 

The cake-like muffin batter is prepared using the same method as making a cake batter.  The butter (room-temperature) and sugar are creamed together.  The eggs are mixed in and then the wet and dry ingredients are added alternately.  The higher sugar and fat content in this type of muffin act as tenderizers thereby producing a richer cake-like muffin with a softer crumb.  The increased fat content also minimizes the development of gluten which again helps to produce a muffin with a softer crumb.

PANS

Muffins and cupcakes are baked in a muffin pan or tin made of steel, aluminum or cast iron.  Make sure the pan you buy has rounded corners and seamless cups.  Non-stick surfaces are available which enables easy removal of the muffins from the pan.  Each pan can have 6-, 12- or 24- cup-shaped depressions and range from mini- to jumbo in size.  Mini muffin pans usually have 12 or 24 cup-shaped depressions.  Each little cup is about 2 inches (5 cm) in diameter and 1/2 inch (1.25 cm) deep and holds about 2 tablespoons of batter.  The regular size muffin pans have 6- or 12- cup-shaped depressions with each cup about 3 inches (7.5 cm) in diameter and holds about 1/2 cup or 4 ounces of batter.  Jumbo muffin pans have 6 cup-shaped depressions with each cup being 4 inches (10 cm) in diameter and 2 inches (5 cm) deep holding about 1 cup of batter each. 

There are also fluted muffin pans (also called bundt-lette pans) that come in 6- and 12- cup sizes made from heavy cast aluminum.  Each of the 6 fluted muffin cups measures 4 inches (10 cm) wide and 2 inches (5 cm) deep and holds 8 ounces (240 ml) of batter.   Each of the 12 fluted muffin cups measures 2 1/2 inches wide (6.25 cm) and 1 inch (2.54 cm) deep.  They can be used to bake both muffins and cakes when decorative individual cakes are desired. 

Note:  If using a dark colored pan, reduce the oven temperature, stated in the recipe, by 25 degrees F.  (This is because dark colored pans absorb more of the energy coming from the oven walls so they become hotter and transmit heat faster than light colored pans.)

Paper or foil muffin cup liners are sometimes used to line the muffin pans.  The advantage of paper liners is not only does it make clean-up easier but they also help to keep the muffins moist and help prevent them from drying out.  However, if you like your muffins to have a crust, do not use paper liners.  Instead, spray the muffin pan with a non stick vegetable spray.

BAKING

Muffins should be baked in the center of a preheated oven and are done when a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean and the edges start to come away from the sides of the pan, usually 20-25 minutes at a 350 - 400 degree F (175 - 205 degrees C) oven. 

Spoon the muffin batter into the muffin tin using two spoons or an ice cream scoop.  Only fill each cup 1/2 to 2/3 full.   Even during this step, handle the batter as little as possible as too much handling will cause a tough muffin.  Fill any unused cups halfway with water to prevent over browning of the muffins or warping of the pan.  Turn the pan halfway during baking for even browning.  Make sure you do not overbake muffins or they will be dry.  When done, remove from oven and place on a wire rack to cool slightly (5-10 minutes) before removing from pan. 

PROBLEM SOLVING

Muffins have tunnels and are dry:

- batter was over mixed (too much gluten development)

- over baked and/or oven too hot

- too much flour and/or too little liquid

Muffins have an uneven shape

- too much batter in each cup (fill only 1/2 to 2/3 full).   Overfilling will cause muffins to have "flying saucer" like tops.

- oven temperature too high

Tops are brown but muffin is not cooked through

- oven temperature too high

- oven rack not in center of oven

Muffin does not rise sufficiently

- oven temperature too low

- batter over mixed or incorrect amount of leavener

Muffins Stick to Pan

- pan was not prepared properly. 

- let muffins sit in pan too long after removing from oven.  Try placing the pan on a wet towel for a few minutes to loosen the muffins.  Run a sharp edge around the inside of each muffin.