(Pictured above: Yummy Banana Bread speckled with chopped dates and walnuts is a perfect way to start the morning. At The Inn at Long Lake our guests did!)
I recently read a interesting sidebar in Cook's Illustrated magazine that I found eye-opening.
If you enjoy muffins, but sometimes find that they are not evenly domed and picturesque on top, a couple of overlooked considerations may be at fault. Of course, in baking ingredients must be measured precisely for each recipe. Secondly, the correct oven temperature is also necessary. Thirdly, humidity in warmer seasons may also play a contributing factor to cakes and muffins sagging in the middle. Without fail, items not fully baked will never cook and rise in perfect fashion, too.
The sidebar article brought to light another interesting solution: letting the batter set for 10 minutes BEFORE baking! According to their food scientist, sometimes batters for muffins and cakes are helped by a setting time prior to baking. This enables the liquid component of the batter to bond with the gluten. This creates stronger structures for rising during baking.
Muffins, this innkeeper finds, are the worst culprit for sunken middles. Quick breads, which usually require as long as 1 hour of baking, quite possible, have more than enough time in their initial oven time to bond these gluten molecules. Muffins (baking times between 15-30 minutes) may not have this necessary time.
Solution: Mix your batter according to the recipe. THEN, pre-heat your oven for 10 minutes to the desired temperature (most recipes ask you to do this first!). Portion batter into pans, bake, and see if your cakes and muffins dome correctly. Always test with a toothpick for doneness. You'll have beautiful baked goods that are shaped as lovely as they taste!
Keith A. Neubert
Innkeeper-Chef, The Inn at Long Lake
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