I read that most home bakers overmix their muffin batter by a huge amount

I was looking up a recipe for blueberry muffins last weekend and found an article from a baking school. It said that on average, people mix their muffin batter about 60% more than they should! I was shocked. I always thought you had to get it really smooth, so I'd stir and stir until it looked even. That explains why my muffins sometimes come out tough or with weird tunnels inside. I tried the 'just until combined' method they talked about, where you can still see a few streaks of flour, and my next batch was so much better. They were lighter and had a nicer texture. Has anyone else had a similar wake-up call about a basic baking step they were doing wrong for years?

3 comments

3 Comments

williams.jenny6d ago

Totally had that with pie crust. I used to work the dough forever and it was always tough. Letting it stay a bit shaggy made a huge difference.

susanm566d ago

Overworking dough is the number one mistake. It develops too much gluten and turns into a leathery mess. A shaggy, uneven dough seems wrong but bakes up perfectly flaky. The key is to stop the second it holds together. It's a texture you have to trust, not a look.

the_eric6d ago

Jenny's right about shaggy dough, it feels wrong but works. I learned the hard way with tough biscuits from over-mixing. Hands off is the way to go for flaky stuff.