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Close-ups of muffin texture after stirring 40,60, 80, 100, 120, and 200 full, circular turns around the bowl.  As you can see, the “tunnels” get progressively larger.  As you would be able to feel, the bread gets tougher.

For our first assignment for Design Frontiers in Biology & Materiality, we were assigned to recreate one of our old science fair projects.  Of the two that I remember distinctly, I decided to go with the baking experiment over the burning fabric experiement.  After all, it’s winter and I would have to work outside for the latter.

In fifth grade, I did my science far project on over-mixing muffins.  It strikes me as intriguing what things we have socially decided must be explained and what things we are just given hard and fast rules.  Childhood is all about hard and fast rules.  “Don’t touch the glass” rather than, “That is hot because it just came out of the oven, which is hot.  Don’t touch it or else it will burn you.”  Rational can get into all sorts of levels of complexity but a little of it can make so much sense and better explain the essence of what you are trying to achieve.

Such is the case with many baking recipes.  I could go off on the patronizing nature of cookbooks and view of women and science (Sean, don’t argue this.  You read awesome, well developed cookbooks.)  Either way, knowing why cookbooks insist on me not over-mixing cookies is a minor emanicpation from the hard and fast rules of baking.

The Experiment

For my project, I over-mixed the muffins to see, first hand, what the dangerous fallout really was when muffins were over-mixed.  It is slightly awesome.

The pictures on the side are the results of over mixing.  The baking directions below tell the cook to stire the muffins between 12 to 15 full circles around the bowl.  The picture to the left aft taken after stirring 40, 60, 80, 100, 120, and 200 times around the bowl.  As you can see, tunnels develop in the muffins and become larger, the more you mix.  The muffins also become tougher.

The Explanation

The recipe gives you a basic descriptive explanation of why not to over mix (the muffins will be tough), but WHY does it happen?  I actually had a hard time searching for an explanation online,  most of the responses were the same as I described: don’t overmix because it will make the muffins tough.  Not why the muffins were tough.

What I did, eventually, find though, was more than I could possibly hope, an online abstract from Experiemental Cookery From The Chemical And Physical Standpoint.

According to the abstract, what is happening is the activation of gluten, creating a tough stringy structure.

Proportion of water that results in a very sticky gluten, and the gluten is attenuated to the point at which it is tenacious and somewhat elastic like rubber, the batter drips from the spoon into the muffin pan somewhat as shown in Fig. 50 at A. The gluten strands of the batter are stretched toward the point in contact with the spoon. The manner or direction in which the tunnels form is partially dependent upon the way in which the gluten strands are stretched in mixing and in placing the batter in the pans.

What I love even more about this is now I know even more ways to ruin muffins.  Apparently the type of baking powder you use is also important.  Using different types of baking powder, Tartrate baking powder, Phosphate baking powder, Sulfate-phosphate baking powder, result in different muffin shapes

Even better, temperature and depth of the batter play a part:

Two other factors that influence the formation of tunnels, though their effect is not always consistent, are depth of the batter and the baking temperature. When the batter is mixed just to the verge of tunnel formation, the deeper the batter in the pan the more apt are tunnels to appear. The effect of temperature is still more variable than some of the other factors, but tunnels have been observed in portions of a batter baked at higher temperatures, when other portions baked at lower temperatures did not have them or they were less numerous.

The Recipe

For those interested in have some of those tasty muffins after all this talk of food.  I thought I would share the recipe that I used:

Baking magnificent muffins is not only rewarding, but surprisingly easy as well.  The keys to perfection are careful measuring and just the right mixing technique.  Follow directions precisely, and  you won’t experience the classic pitfalls of muffin making–tunnels, course texture, and toughness.

The following basic recipe creates a slightly sweet muffin that is tender but a bit course, with a pebbly, brown surface and a failry even shape.

• 2 Cups all-purpose flour
• 3 tablespoons sugar
• 3 teaspoons baking powder
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1 cup milk
• 1 egg
• 4 tablespoons butter or margarine, melted and cooled

Preheat oven to 425º. Grease a muffin pan with 2½-inch-diameter cups, or line them with paper baking cup liners; set aside.

In a bowl, sift together flower, sugar, baking powder, and salt; make a well in center, Pour milk winto a 2-cup glass measure and add egg and butter; blend well. Pout liquid all at once into flower well. (This method allows you to mix the batter with fewer strokes, avoiding overstirring.) Make 12 to 15 full circular strokes that scrape the bottom of the bowl, stire just until dry ingredients are moistened. Buter should be lumpy. Fill each prepared muffin cup 2/3 full with batter.

Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until tops are lightly browned. Remove muffins from pan immediately (otherwise moisture condenses on bottom of cups and muffins become soggy.) Makes 12 muffins.

Recipe from Sunset Easy Basics for Good Cooking

At the bottom there is a little blurb for:

Creating the Perfect Muffin

Well made muffins have pebbly tops and golden crust. When muffin is cut, inside texture shows even cell structure.

Overstirred muffins have peaked tops usually slopping to one side. when muffin is cut, inside texture shows tunnels–elongated are cells.

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