Muffins - baking, common in England, America and several other countries. They are products of dough, with or without filling, in appearance resemble round small cupcakes. The dough for muffins in composition is also similar to the flour base for cupcakes, but it contains less oil, more eggs and liquids (milk, kefir), which makes it a little less high-calorie. Muffins are sweet and snack bars, spices, cheese, cottage cheese, nuts, chocolate, dried fruit and other ingredients can be added to the dough for them. Products are prepared quite easily and quickly, they can be made for breakfast or unplanned arrival of guests. Both children and adults rarely refuse such a treat.
Cooking Features
Dough for muffins not only has a different composition from the cupcakes, but also prepares for a slightly different technology. Only knowledge of several important points will allow the culinary specialist to get the expected result.
- Do not use low quality flour for making muffins. It gives products a grayish color, making them unappetizing. Baking from second-rate flour has a specific flavor that is hard to miss.
- Flour must be sieved before combining with other ingredients. The purpose of this manipulation is not only to rid the product of small litter and insect larvae. The main task is to saturate the flour with oxygen. After sifting, it becomes easy. It may be easier to combine with other components, preventing the formation of dense lumps. Even if the flour lumps remain in the dough, they will be soft and will not spoil the taste of baking.
- Some gourmets advise not to knead the dough thoroughly. It is enough to stir the ingredients to moisten the flour. If at the same time small lumps remain in it, it will even give baking a unique taste, peculiar only to this type of flour products. Usually the ingredients are stirred from the bottom up for 10-15 seconds.
- The traditional technology of making dough for muffins involves combining all the liquid and all dry ingredients in separate containers. Only after that they are mixed together. When this liquid ingredients are added to the dry, and almost never when cooking muffins do the opposite.
- Muffins will remain soft for a longer time if fermented milk products are used for their preparation or a part of flour (1-2 tablespoons) is replaced with starch.
- If the dough includes dried fruit or candied fruits, they are pre-rolled in flour. This trick allows you to distribute them evenly in the dough.
- The finished dough for muffins consistency resembles sour cream. When baking, it rises well. The dough will rise better if the sides of the molds are not coated with fat, lubricating only the bottom.
Bake muffins made in metal or silicone forms with ribbed edges. So that finished products are better removed from the form, it is oiled or put into it a special paper base. Silicone molds can not be lubricated, since baking is easily removed from them.
It is possible to fill the dough with the mold only by two thirds or even half, otherwise, when baking, the dough, rising, can pass over the edges.
Muffins are baked in a preheated oven at 200 degrees for 15-20 minutes.
Basic recipe for muffin dough
Composition:
- butter - 50 g;
- wheat flour - 0, 25 kg;
- baking powder for dough - 12 g;
- salt - a pinch;
- sugar - 60 g;
- chicken eggs - 2 pcs .;
- milk - 150 ml.
Preparation Method:
- Pour the milk into a small saucepan. Put in it cut into small pieces of butter.
- Put the pan with butter and milk on low heat. Heat by stirring until the butter is completely melted, dissolved in the milk.
- Pour the milk-oil mixture into a bowl, let it cool. Add eggs to it. Whisk the products with a whisk to obtain a uniform liquid composition.
- Sift the flour into a clean, dry bowl. Put salt, sugar and baking powder to it. Stir.
- Pour the liquid mixture into a bowl with dry. Stir from bottom to top. It is necessary to interfere until the non-moist flour is no longer visible, not longer.
Lubricate muffin molds with oil, fill them with two thirds of the dough. Preheat oven to 200 degrees. Send the cookie cutters and cook English muffins for 20 minutes.
Dough recipe for muffins on kefir
Composition:
- wheat flour - 150 g;
- chicken egg - 1 pc .;
- kefir - 0, 2 l;
- baking powder for dough (can be replaced with soda) - 5 g;
- sugar - 100 g;
- vanillin - 1 g;
- refined vegetable oil - 40 ml.
Preparation Method:
- Remove kefir and egg from the refrigerator beforehand - it would be better if they reach room temperature by the beginning of the dough.
- Break the egg into a bowl, whisk it with a whisk or fork.
- Pour kefir and butter into the egg. Beat the products with a whisk or mixer to get a completely uniform consistency.
- In a separate container, mix the sifted flour, soda or baking powder, sugar and vanilla.
- Pour the liquid mixture into a bowl of flour. Intensively stir the dough for 10-15 seconds.
Immediately after mixing the ingredients, the dough can be poured into molds and baked muffins.
Chocolate dough for cocoa muffins
Composition:
- margarine - 180 g;
- cocoa powder - 100 g;
- milk - 120 ml;
- sugar - 100 g;
- wheat flour - 0, 3 kg;
- chicken eggs - 3 pcs .;
- salt - a pinch;
- baking powder for dough - 5 g.
Preparation Method:
- Sift flour, pour into a clean bowl.
- Add baking powder and salt to the flour. Stir.
- In a separate container, break the eggs, shake them so that they turn into a liquid mass.
- Lightly heat the milk, add cocoa powder mixed with sugar into it. Stir until cocoa and sugar dissolve.
- Put the margarine into the warm cocoa. Continue stirring, stirring, until margarine is dissolved.
- Allow the liquid mixture to cool so that the eggs do not boil in it, then pour it into a bowl with the eggs, whisk with a whisk or mixer.
- Pour the chocolate mass to the flour, mix. At this stage, the use of kitchen gadgets is not recommended.
After mixing the dough, fill them with oiled molds, put them in the oven, preheated to 200 degrees, and bake for about 20 minutes.
Cheese dough for muffins
Composition:
- wheat flour - 150 g;
- hard cheese - 150 g;
- chicken egg - 1 pc .;
- milk - 0, 2 l;
- salt - 2 g;
- butter - 50 g;
- baking powder for dough - 5 g;
- seasonings to taste.
Preparation Method:
- Sift flour, mix it with salt, seasonings and baking powder.
- Melt the butter, cool to room temperature.
- In a clean bowl, break an egg, pour in the melted butter and milk, whisk.
- Finely rub the cheese, add it to the liquid mixture, mix.
- Combine dry mix with liquid, stir products.
- Spread the dough in the molds, bake the products.
Cooked according to this recipe muffins can be served not only with tea or coffee, but also as a snack to wine.
Muffin dough is prepared according to certain rules, but they are simple. Even an inexperienced hostess can make it. English muffins can be sweet and savory, the choice of dough recipe depends on what result the cook intends to get.
