Best Blueberry Streusel Muffin Recipe | Barbara Bakes (2024)

FAQs

What is the secret to high muffins? ›

The idea here is to start the muffins in a very hot oven for just a short amount of time. This activates the baking powder and allows the muffins to shoot up in height quickly. We then turn the heat down and continue to cook for longer. This is done to avoid over-browning and overbaking.

Start the oven on high

Bake your muffins at 400°F for the first 5 minutes, then drop the temperature to the more standard 350°F for the remainder of the bake time. This method sparks the leavening agents (especially baking powder) in the batter to react quicker, creating that gorgeously risen top.

What causes the muffins to be tough, heavy or rubbery? A. Two things: too much egg and using a dark, nonstick pan. A large-size egg, about 1/4 cup, will give you the best results.

If there isn't enough egg, your batter or dough may not be able to hold its structure or could end up overly dry or dense. On the other hand, if there is too much egg, your baked goods could lose their shape due to excess liquid, or have a rubbery (or even overly cakey) texture depending on the recipe.

bake at high temperature initially

High heat encourages the muffins to rise quickly and create a nice dome. You can start baking them at a higher temperature, such as 425°F (220°C), for about 5 minutes, and then lower the temperature to the regular baking temperature for the remaining time.

Many muffin recipes use cooking oil instead of butter. Oil, being a liquid, distributes easily in the quick-mix batter and is readily absorbed into the baked muffin, producing a light non-greasy texture. Vegetable oil is ideal because its mild flavour doesn't compete with the main flavour of the muffin.

Quickbreads and muffins are hydrating batters, which means the flour absorbs the liquid over time, resulting in a very moist muffin, and improving the flavor. So let your muffin batter rest, up to 24 hours if possible.

The best bakery-style crumb muffins start with cake flour

Cake flour is more finely ground and has less protein, which leaves the muffins with a fine, light crumb and soft texture. Using cake flour is an easy way to avoid heavy, dense muffins even if you end up stirring just a bit too much. What is this?

Ideal Muffin Cooking Temperature

That being said, the standard oven temperature for baking desserts like quick breads and muffins is commonly set to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Setting your oven to this temperature will almost always produce a well-cooked muffin recipe.

Why do you put water in the oven when baking muffins? ›

It's an old wives tale, and it actually increases the humidity in the oven which creates water vapor that will weigh down the muffin batter. It also increases the barometric pressure within the oven, which will reduce the amount the muffins will rise.

Can I Use Milk in Place of Water? You technically can, but it's not recommended. MUFFINS AND CUPCAKES ARE NOT THE SAME! If your box mix calls for water, it's probably because adding milk will make them TOO MOIST.

It is generally better to use fresh blueberries in a muffin recipe, as they tend to have a sweeter and more flavorful taste than frozen blueberries. Fresh blueberries are also less likely to release excess moisture into the batter, which can make the muffins soggy and dense.

Start the muffins at a high temperature. Start baking your muffins at 425F / 220C for 5 minutes, then, without opening the oven door, reduce the temperature to 350F / 175C. The super hot temperature at the beginning will activate the baking powder and give you a nice quick rise at the beginning of baking.

According to O. Corriher, the way to get a perfectly puffed up dome on your muffins is to increase your oven heat. She says that 400° should do it, no matter what the recipe says. The higher baking temperature means that the the outside edges of the muffin will set while the middle is still liquidy.

Baking soda, aka sodium bicarbonate, is a commonly known food additive and baking ingredient. While there are many uses of baking soda, it is commonly found in recipes as a leavening agent to help baked goods rise.

Over-mixing – If you mix the muffin batter too much it can create a VERY dense muffin with huge pockets of air inside.

Leavening Agents

Breads, cakes, cookies, and nearly all baked goods require a leavening agent. These are the key ingredients that make a cake rise. There are two types of leavening agents, chemical (baking soda and baking powder) and biological (yeast).