help with softer muffins?

[panur_links]

Yesterday I made some delicious banana-chocolate-chip muffins, and while they turned well, I'd like them to be more spongy/softer

Comments

[falnfenix]

i'd try playing around with a little less baking time and/or a lower temp.

[panur_links]

I did the baking really low, I only upped the temp to max when they took well over 15 mins and they still were pale as a corpse

[thesiriusmoon]

If you want them to be softer and moister I'd replace the milk with plain yogurt. You may also want to turn the over down to 325 and let them bake for longer.

[panur_links]

how much yogurt, do you think...?

[hadespuppy]

Try replacing the yogurt with applesauce. It has the benefit of making them healthier as well

[hadespuppy]

That was supposed to say oil, not yogurt. No idea where that came from

[panur_links]

no applesauce in my country < : (

[owner_of_dooom]

Just cook up some chopped apples in a bit of water and puree it. Voila, applesauce. :)

[tisiphone]

How much did you mix the ingredients together? With muffins it's usually best to just mix until all the flour is moist (by hand, with a wooden spoon or something), not try to get all the lumps out or use a mixer. That tends to develop the gluten too much and make them too tough.

[panur_links]

this might have been it...did the recipe mostly from memory since I only had the list of ingredients. I'm sure I did the mashed bananas first and then threw the flour, eggs, milk, baking powder+baking soda, sugar and oil, more or less in that order. You think that might be it?

[tisiphone]

Yup, that might be it. What I usually do to make sure my muffins stay soft is mix together all the dry ingredients, then toss in all the wet ingredients at the same time and stir them together just enough to get the flour wet (don't worry about lumps), fold in any nuts or berries or anything with one or two stirs, and get them in the pre-heated oven right away.

[panur_links]

just wanted to let you know this worked PERFECTLY, thanks for teaching me such a good new truck!

[stryck]

More fat=softer baked goods. Also, applesauce can be subbed for oil, but while that makes the item softer, it also leaves it crumbly.

[randomstasis]

Just came to say that!
i.e.- Add butter! And, that recipe doesn't have much moisture anyway- applesauce, more or riper banana, fat, anything will help.

[panur_links]

more oil, then...?