The Muffin Method
(a Quick Bread)
Culinary Basics Class
LSHS
Advantages of the
Muffin Method
•Quick
•Easy
•Inexpensive
•Anyone can make muffins
•A great variety of choices
Recipes that use the Muffin
Method • Pancakes
•
•
•
•
•
Waffles
Crepes
Cornbread
Muffins
Fruit Breads such as
zucchini bread, banana
bread, and pumpkin
bread
• Wacky Cocoa Cake
What Defines the “Muffin
Method”
It’s all about the
mixing technique
and the order the
ingredients are
added.
Muffin 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.
Purpose of Ingredients
Eggs
• Flavor
• Color
• Richness
• Tenderness
• Binder
• Leavening
Purpose of Ingredients
Milk or Other Liquid
(The Activator)
• Triggers production of
gluten
• Allows leavening to start
• Dissolves sugar
• Moisture
More about Liquids
• Milk adds richness and increases
browning
• Nutrients
• Liquids interact with the leavening
agents, starting the rising process
(When liquid is added determines
the characteristics of the baked
good.)
Purpose of Ingredients
Fat (Shortening, oil or
melted butter)
• Richness
• Flavor Enhancer
• Tenderness
• Brown the crust
• Leavener
Purpose of Ingredients
Sugar
• Flavor
• Tenderness
• Rich brown color
• crispness
Purpose of Ingredients
Flour
• Structure (without flour
baked goods would fall apart)
• Gluten effects the texture and
rising.
(When mixed with liquid,
protein in flour forms an
elastic web of gluten. The
higher the protein, the higher
the gluten.)
Purpose of Ingredients
Baking Powder or Baking
Soda
• Makes the product rise
(through the release of
carbon dioxide gas that
increases the volume of
bubbles.
• They are called
Leavening agents.
The End
I hope you enjoy your
Muffin Method Lab!
-Mrs. B
• Single-Stage
Method
– Also known as the
quick-mix, one-bowl, or
dump method.
– All the dry and liquid
ingredients are mixed
together at once.
– Packaged mixes for
Mixing Techniques
• Pastry-Blend Method
– Fat is first cut into flour with a
pastry blender, or with two
knives crisscrossed against
each other in a scissor-like
fashion, to form a mealy fatflour mixture.
– Half the milk and all of the
sugar, baking powder, and salt
are then blended into the fatflour mixture.
– Lastly, eggs and more milk may
then be blended into the
mixture.