The Fresh Loaf

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High crown muffins - impossible at home??

Delbadry's picture
Delbadry

High crown muffins - impossible at home??

Hi,

I am very, very close to giving up on trying to bake high-domed, large-crowned muffins. I've tried any and every recipe with a picture showing a muffin peak like I'm trying to create, and I've only ever achieved an average-looking, barely-rounded dome; unlike the kind you find at professional bakeries. I've tried different baking temperatures (including combination temperatures), different oven rack levels, different mixing methods, resting times and immediate baking, 3/4 full tins and heaping full tins, room temp ingredients and strict mixing guidelines, different batter consistencies, and even different muffin pans including jumbo and crown pans. Nothing has created that gorgeous dome that's as high as the muffin's base.

My question is: has anyone achieved this? Has anyone personally made these high-rising muffins with semi-sphered domes or even close to it? I've researched all the tips and any recipes you may suggest I've probably already tried.. I just wanted a confirmation before I give up that it cannot be done at home.

Thanks!!! :)

PaddyL's picture
PaddyL

Professionals use a special muffin pan that goes out at the tops, and they fill the cups right up to the tops, giving you that flare-out.

Delbadry's picture
Delbadry

I have tried a crown muffin pan; and, yes, it did help give the muffins a flaring out crown, however, they still lacked in height, which is what I'm really after.. But thank you! :)

Song Of The Baker's picture
Song Of The Baker

I have a very good bran muffin recipe that I recreated from a local Inn.  Their muffins had those huge tops that you are after.  In the beginning, I was trying for this as well but settled on the taste and stopped trying to make the tops high and large.  I even bought a muffin tin with large shallow cups, thinking this would do it.  It didn't.  It just makes larger muffins.  The tops still stay quite flat.

Wish I had the answer to this as well.

John

Delbadry's picture
Delbadry

Thank you, it's good to know I'm not the only one who has strived to achieve something so seemingly impossible! :) I do agree I should just focus on flavor and texture; it's just that it can be so frustrating when you try a recipe, and then the results simply don't match all the promise in the recipe's photo! :) Thanks again. :)

breadsong's picture
breadsong

Hi,
Fine Cooking magazine posted a 'create your own' muffin formula several years ago (formula is based on 1 pound of flour).
The first time I tried making them, I used (2) 6-cup crown muffin pans, and was pleased with how the muffins rose; the batter quantity in the formula, with the pans I was using, seemed about right.
I posted about these muffins, here; not sure if this is the muffin you want to bake, but here is the link, in case it's helpful:        http://www.thefreshloaf.com/node/19356/mmmmuffins

Looking back at Fine Cooking's article, for a regular muffin pan, they recommend filling the muffin cups so that batter mounds higher than the rim of the cups by about 3/4 of an inch.

Happy baking!
:^) breadsong

 

Delbadry's picture
Delbadry

I came across your post while I was researching, and remember being disappointed about not being able to purchase the same muffin pans. I bought a similar pan; unfortunately the muffin bases weren't as sturdy as the ones in your post seem to be - in fact, some of the muffins I made in my crown muffin pan toppled over from the weight of their crowns! Plus, the crowns just seemed to be bigger in terms of width, as opposed to having higher domes.

The best results I've achieved with a standard muffin pan is by using a thick batter and mounding the batter up as you said. I was just hoping to find a way to create higher domes with a smooth surface with perhaps those great cracks in the crown - like the muffins simply burst in the oven! :)

Thank you so much for your help though! :))

Marty's picture
Marty

There is a recipe here that may help. Have not tried it.

OOPS

For some reason the link triggers the spam filter. Go to the King Arthur flour site and look up Fancy department store muffins.

Marty

 

 

FlourChild's picture
FlourChild

Not sure exactly what you've tried or just how high  you want the peaks, but the main things to do to create a peak are to reduce baking powder and increase the oven temp.   If you are using cake flour, switch to AP to get more structure.  Finally, use the creaming method for mixing and cream the butter and sugar for a long time, as baking powder can't create bubbles it can only make them larger- you need to create them first by creaming butter and sugar.

Delbadry's picture
Delbadry

Thanks for the tips - I've applied all of those techniques except for reducing the baking powder. I might give it a try - nothing to lose, right?! :)

margieluvschaz's picture
margieluvschaz

this might seem long because I told you exactly what I use & how I make them.  I always hate when pople share recipes but it doesn't come out the same, because I don't know what they did or used     - so sorry for the lengthy recipe. = )

Pumpkin Muffins  makes 18    Preheat oven to 350

 2 C canned pumpkin or you can use fresh, but my muffins have a nicer top with canned ( not pumpkin pie filling)

 3C All purpose flour- unbleached sometimes I make them with we wheat flour 1 cup WW/ 2 cups unbleached flour

 2C white sugar

 2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp baking powder

3/4tsp ground cloves

2 tsp ground cinnamon

1  tsp ground nutmeg

 1/4 tsp allspice

 1 tsp salt

 2/3 cup veg oil

 3 eggs- large

 your muffins will come out better rise with with fresh baking powder& soda & room temp pumpkin, & eggs

Mix in med bowl pumpkin, oil & eggs In extra large bowl I mix my dry ingredients really well, make a well in center & pour in wet ingredients.  I hand mix this using a danish dough whisk ( large one) I bought on www.breadtopia.com  site.  Works much better than a spoon to mix ingredients well. Because it lifts and adds quickly so recipes you shouldn't overmix get mixed faster. ( I use it for muffins, scones, bread, pancakes & biscuits- it isn't expensive under 20) But a spoon or spatchula  does the trick too.  Trick is to Mix in until incorporated BUT DO NOT OVER MIX.  If you over mix you won't have the nice big tops.  Spray each paper with a little veg oil spray ( paper comes off easy that way)  & place in pan.Let batter rest about 15 minutes.  Fill liners using an ice cream scoop. Cook for about 20 minutes. they are good plain but really good with cream cheese frosting on top I used my  favorite cream cheese icing recipe & sometimes add real maple extract that I got at ABC baking supply  on E. Indian School Road.  I'm still playing with the frosting recipe.  I also somtimes  put pepita seeds ( bulk bins at sprouts, roasted & salted on top) here is he recipe for the small bit of topping i put on the ones I made yesterday- i just put a small amount on, if i put it on 1/4 cup butter softened 4 oz softened crream cheese 2 c powdered sugar 1/2 tsp vanilla  you'll have extra of this frosting about a 1/2 cup extra. I  use a large decoracting tip & piped it on the top.

Margie
 

Delbadry's picture
Delbadry

Thanks Margie for the detailed recipe - I too get frustrated with vague recipes! I'm definitely going to give it a try. Thank you so much. :)

Katfish's picture
Katfish

Your recipe for high dome muffins, from January 2013, came out fantastic!  I finally achieved that high dome! Thank you!  Do you have a recipe for chocolate chip muffins?  My daughter loves them, especially with the high tops. Should I keep the pumpkin- just not the spices?  I don't think she will care if it is orange, or could I sub applesauce?  Would love a recipe if you have one! Thanks again

pmccool's picture
pmccool

There was a string of posts a while back about achieving loftier muffins with an overnight refrigeration of the batter.  Perhaps it will be of interest to you, Delbadry.

Paul

Delbadry's picture
Delbadry

Thank you Paul, I'm always on the lookout for new techniques like that. Thank you so much, that's really helpful! :)

shanfrancisco's picture
shanfrancisco

Delbadry: I realize your initial question is more than six years old now, but I came across it this morning while doing a research deep dive on how to make the tall, cylindrical, bakery-style muffins that I love so much. For me, there's just something about that shape that adds a certain something to the muffin experience.

They're not the traditional upside-down-A-shape like traditional muffins with the crown that edges far over the base. They're taller and more cylindrical...the crown is even with the edge…more of a semi-spherical on top. Not too big, either. I don't like those overly large, jumbo muffins with the massive, overly large crowns that you often see in cafes. I want something more sophisticated and portion controlled. I don't need a 650 calorie muffin in my life! ;) 

Anyway, I’d been searching for this information for *awhile* when at last I came across some pictures of exactly the kind of muffin I'm after on a site called Love and Olive Oil. (The recipe there is for "Bolos de Arros" or Portuguese Rice Muffins. The author said these muffins are always baked in a vertical cylinder of paper.

Both the paper and the muffins looked very close to correct to me (maybe not *quite* as tall as I like, but close), so I did a little more Googling and found some of the "vertical cylinders of baking paper" that the author had been talking about. They're on a site called BakingNeed (dot) com and they're called Panettone Alto Baking Molds. They're 2.75 inches wide and 2.3 inches tall.  I also found a product called Novacart Brown Scroll Tulip Disposable Baking Cup on a site called bakedeco (dot) com. They’re the highest rated product on the site in the “muffin and tulip baking cup” category. They’re listed as having a 2 inch base diameter with 4 inch tip height, 2-3/4 inch low point. (The top part is kind of tulip-y, so the petals are at various heights, if that makes sense.)

Anyway, I think I’m going to order both styles and try them out. The Panettone molds look sturdy, as if you might not even need a muffin tin to support them while baking. There’s also a product on Walmart’s site called “Frieling Nonstick Ring Mold” that looks as if it might work for making this style of muffin. It sort of looks sort of like a bunch of little muffin-sized, springform pans. Anyway, just wanted to share this info in case it describes the kind of muffin you were after too. If you were ever able to achieve it, be sure to let us know how! I'm only just embarking on my high crown muffin journey, but any and all information helps.