Muffins/Biscuits/Breads
lynnescountrykitchen.net

FROM - Joy of Baking

The name 'Muffin' either comes from the French word 'moufflet', meaning a soft bread, or from the German word 'muffe' which is the name for a type of cake.

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.

Angel Biscuits
Angel Biscuits 2
Annie Mae Jones' Buttermilk Biscuits
Apple Butter Muffins
Apple Muffins
Apple-Nut Muffins
Apple Spice Muffins

B & B Muffins
Baking Powder Biscuits
Banana Crunch Muffins
Banana Mocha Muffins
Banana Muffins
Banana-Walnut Muffins
Beaten Biscuits
Beaten Biscuits 2
Beer Biscuits
Beignets
Biscuits and Sausage Gravy
Biscuit Muffins
Blueberry Coffee Cake Muffins
Blueberry Muffins
Blueberry or Cranberry Muffins
Blueberry Scones with Lemon Glaze
Blueberry Streusel Muffins with Lemon Glaze
Bran Muffins
Buttermilk Biscuits

Cheddar Biscuits
Cheese Biscuits
Cinnamon Muffins
Corn Muffins
Creamy Caramel-Pecan Rolls

Easy Cinnamon Biscuits

From Scratch Biscuits
Fruit Bran Muffins

Grandma's Biscuits

Ham Biscuits
Health Muffins
Herbed Drop Biscuits
Herbed Popovers
High-Rise Biscuits
Homemade Buttermilk Biscuits
Honey Butter 1

Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins
Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins 2
Lemon Ricotta Biscuits

Nun's Puffs

Old German Muffins
Orange-Glazed Blueberry Scones
Out of The Gate Ham Biscuits

Peach Crumb Muffins
Pear, Ginger, and Walnut Muffins
Pineapple Muffins
Pumpkin Muffins

Raspberry Pecan Sweet Bread
Red Lobster Cheese Biscuits

Sage Biscuits Chicoutimi
Sausage and Cheese Biscuits
Sausage Biscuits
Sister Oliver Wheeler's Soda Biscuits
Soda and Sour Milk Biscuits
Sour Cream Muffins
Sour Cream Corn Muffins
Sourdough Biscuits
Southern Biscuit Muffins
Spiced Applesauce Muffins
Summer Muffins
Super-Colossal Cinnamon-Pecan Ring
Sweet Cream Biscuits
Sweet Potato Biscuits
Sweet Potato Biscuits 2
Swirl Breakfast Loaf

Tritical Muffins

Zu-Key-Ni Dill Muffins

For more Muffin Recipes see Muffins