BASIC BAKING MODULE 7

2ND Semester, S.Y. 2023-2024

MUFFINS (Quick Bread)

Objectives:
At the end of the lesson, the students should be able to:
a. identify quick bread
b. differentiate the three mixing methods of quick breads,
c. recognize the different muffin methods,
d. demonstrate how to make muffin; and,
e. Describe the characteristics of muffins.

Quick Bread
• Quick breads are quick to make.
• Leavened by chemical leaveners and steam.
• Little gluten development is required.
• Mixing takes a short time.

Quick Bread Dough Mixtures

• Soft doughs:
➢ has 1/3 as much liquid as flour (1part liquid to 3 parts flour) Examples:
biscuits, doughnuts, scones
• Batters:
➢ Pour batters: equal amounts of flour to liquid (1:1)Examples: waffes,
pancakes and popovers
• Drop Batters
➢ twice as much flour as liquid (1:2) Examples: muffins, nut breads, coffee
cakes.
 To make quick breads, there are three mixing methods:
➢ Biscuit method: used for biscuits, scones.
➢ Muffin method: used for muffins, pancakes, wafles and many loaf
type or sheet type quick breads.
➢ Creaming method: used for muffins, loaf breads, and coffee cakes.

MUFFINS
• A muffin is an individual-sized, baked quick bread product.
• Muffins in the United States are similar to cupcakes in size and cooking
methods, the main difference being that cupcakes tend to be sweet desserts
using cake batter and which are often topped with sugar frosting.
• Muffins are available in both savory varieties, such as cornmeal and cheese
muffins, or sweet varieties such as blueberry, chocolate chip or banana flavors.

Muffin Method
• It’s all about the mixing technique and the order the ingredients are added.
• This method is fast and easy. However the danger is that the dough can quickly
become overmixed, resulting in toughness.
• Muffin batter should be mixed only until the dry ingredients are just moistened.
• This mixing method is not as suitable for formulas high in fat, unlike the creaming
method.
• Quick breads mixed by this method are not as rich and cakelike as muffins and
other products mixed by the creaming method.
• A simple, two-stage mixing method;
➢ The dry and moist ingredients are mixed separately and then blended until the
dry ingredients just become moist.
➢ Over-mixing will result in a tough baked product riddled with tunnels.

Procedure Muffin Method

1. Sift together the dry ingredients in a bowl.
2. Combine the liquid ingredients in another bowl.
3. Add the liquids to the dry ingredients and mix just until all the flour is moistened.
4. Grease or spray loaf pans or muffin tins or use paper liners.
5. Take care not to over-stir the mix as you portion it.
6. Bake.

MUFFIN TYPES AND MIXING METHODS

Standard Muffins
• Contain less sugar and fat with a coarser interior crumb than a cake-like muffin.
• The fat used is usually in liquid form, either an oil or melted butter.
• Mixing is done by the Muffin Method and stirring must be kept to a minimum so
the gluten is not overdeveloped. The interior crumb has small, and more
irregular air holes.
 • The Muffin Method is used to mix most Standard muffin batters. 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.
a. Combine dry ingredients in one bowl, mixing well. If you didn’t mix them before
combining with the liquid ingredients, when baked, the muffins will
likely get elongated holes (tunnels) inside;
b. Combine wet and sugar ingredients in another bowl, beating well until frothy
and small bubbles appear.
c. Finally combine the dry and wet, by hand with a wooden spoon, just enough to
blend- DO NOT OVERMIX. Only 10 to 15 strokes are needed to moisten the
ingredients and the batter should be still lumpy - don't try and
smooth it. The lumps will disappear when the batter bakes. When lifted with
a spoon, the batter should break and separate easily.
d. Form and bake immediately in a well-preheated oven. DO NOT OVERBAKE.

Cake-like Muffins
• A higher sugar and butter content. The mixing is done with the creaming
method, or where butter and sugar are creamed together and need more
stirring to develop the desired structure. The interior crumb should have smaller
air holes and tender, more like a cake.
• To Mix with the Creaming Method: is prepared using the same method as mixing
abutter cake batter where the butter and sugar are creamed together. The higher
sugar and fat content in this type of muffin act as tenderizers by minimizing
gluten, thereby producing a richer cake-like muffin with a softer crumb.

1. The butter and sugar are creamed together.

2. The eggs are mixed in;
3. The wet and dry ingredients are added alternately;
4. Batter will look smooth. DO NOT OVERMIX;
5. Form and bake immediately in a well-preheated oven. DO NOT OVERBAKE.
Recipes that use the Muffin Method
• Pancakes
• Wafles
• Crepes
• Cornbread
• Muffins
• Fruit breads such as zucchini bread, banana bread and pumpkin bread.
• Wacky cocoa cake

POP-OVERS

MAKING POPOVERS
CHARACTERISTIC OF POPOVERS

• Good volume
• Shell golden & crisp
• Moist, Hollow Interior
• Alton Brown: Popover Sometimes