PSA: I learned i was overmixing my muffins for 3 years straight

I finally figured out why my blueberry muffins always came out tough and dense. I always thought the more you mix the better the texture, but my sister watched me one time and asked why i was beating the batter like it owed me money. It hit me i was overworking the gluten and making the muffins rubbery. The next batch i barely stirred it, just folded until the flour disappeared. The difference was night and day, they came out so light and fluffy i couldnt believe it. Now i just mix until it looks lumpy and call it done. Has anyone else had a baking habit that totally backfired on them?

2 comments

2 Comments

hollyc9216d ago

It’s wild how we assume more effort always equals better results, right? I think that applies to so many things not just baking. Like I used to think studying for hours without a break made me more productive, but really I was just burning out and not retaining anything. Or even with cleaning, I used to scrub counters like crazy until I realized a gentle wipe with the right cleaner worked way better without leaving streaks. It’s like we’re trained to think harder is smarter, but sometimes doing less actually gets you the fluffier muffin, lol.

shane65516d ago

Oh man, I was doing the same thing for way too long. But also, make sure your baking powder isn't expired, that messed me up even more than overmixing did. Just a heads up, fresh leavening makes a huge difference too.