Follow these tried and true bakery secrets to make High Domed Bakery-style muffins with your favorite from-scratch standard size muffin recipe!
So how many of you have bought a muffin at a bakery and just were in awe of high they rose without really spilling over? They domed so beautifully almost like you were getting twice as much muffin for the price of one. BONUS, right?! One thing to keep in mind, this is for MUFFIN batter, not cupcakes. There’s a huge difference between cupcakes and muffin batters folks.
…and I’m sure you went home, decided to try it by adding more baking soda/powder to your mix and instead of filling them 1/2-3/4″ of the way full, you filled them to the brim.
…and I’m sure about 6 minutes into the baking you started to smell that smell. You know that the smell. The smell of your gorgeous batter overflowing the cupcake pans and onto your oven floor.
… and I’m sure you’ve said one to 672 swear words, damning that bakery for teasing you with their perfectly high domed muffins while you’re left to scrapping burnt batter off of your oven floor.
It’s pretty basic and you’re going to love me FOREVER once I share this bakery secret with you. Actually, since you’re gonna love me forever, wanna help me open my bistro? 🙂
So here goes…
Most from-scratch muffin recipes tell you to do the following:
- Preheat oven to 325-350.
- Fill 1/2-3/4 full
- Bake 15-20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean
Right?
Well, stop that! No, you can still make them that way but you won’t get high domed muffins.
Bakery Secrets to High Domed Muffins
There are 2 important steps here
-
Let the batter rest at least an hour or overnight in the fridge (preferred)
Do you know why you should let your muffin batter rest? During the resting period, starch molecules in the flour are absorbing the liquid in the batter.
This causes them to swell and gives the batter a thicker, more viscous consistency. Any gluten formed during the mixing of the batter is also getting time to relax, and air bubbles are slowly working their way out.
-
How you bake them temp-wise
By starting them off at such a high temperature is the initial high heat of 425 degrees F causes the batter to have greater oven spring or the rapid rise during the first few minutes of baking.
The higher heat creates a burst of steam that lifts the batter. Makes sense, huh?
Bakery-style High Domed Muffins – how do they do that?
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Ingredients
- Any from-scratch standard size muffin batter – try the Chocolate Chunk Zucchini Muffins!
Instructions
- Always use a From-Scratch muffin recipe, never boxed!
- Never use a mixer to incorporate your dry ingredients to your wet. Use a spatula or spoon. Do not over mix your batter.
- Cover your batter tightly and refrigerate for at least 1 hour (can go overnight as well).
- Preheat your oven to 425F. Yes, I know the recipe calls for 350 but trust me on this. I typically bake my muffins in the upper third of the oven. You see placing the muffins in the upper third of the oven it tends to be hotter and the heat more constant. You can most certainly use the middle rack as well if you want.
- Spray the top of your muffin pan with non-stick spray. Line the pan with cupcake/muffin liners.
- The batter will be THICK. You can gently stir it first. Just try not to deflate it. Fill the muffin papers almost ALL THE WAY TO THE TOP OF THE PAPER. (just leave about a 1/8″ from the top). Yes I know, it’s spilled over before but this works.
- If you have empty cavities in your muffin tin (not enough batter), remove the liner and add 1/2 cup water in each.
- Bake 6-9 minutes at 425. The muffins should be about a 1/4″-1/2″ above the paper. That’s the sign the heat can be turned down.
- Reduce heat to 350 (DO NOT OPEN THE DOOR TO DROP THE TEMP.. sorry for the YELLING.. lol) and bake for 6-10 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out barely clean (crumbs are OK). *Note: this will depend on your actual recipe.
- Remove from the oven and cool in the pan on a rack for 1-2 minutes.
- Remove the muffins (they will be hot) from the pan and cool on the rack. Do not leave them in the pan to cool completely as the bottoms and sides will become soggy. Leaving them in the pan builds up too much moisture.
Notes
- I do NOT use boxed muffin mixes – ever nor would I recommend using this technique on a boxed mix.
- The reason why this works is the initial high heat of 425 degrees F causes the batter to have greater oven spring or the rapid rise during the first few minutes of baking. The higher heat creates a burst of steam that lifts the batter.
Amanda says
If using frozen berries would you include them right away or add them just before cooking?
TKWAdmin says
I would thaw them first, add to the mix (dry them off from any liquid) and then add to the mix) before you put it in the fridge.
CDup says
Thank you for the tips! Will this work for a banana walnut muffin batter? I’m concerned that by leaving it overnight the bananas will turn brown and look unappetizing.
TKWAdmin says
Hi! With bananas, I tend to only chill it for about an hour as I don’t want it to turn off color.
Best Kitchen Wishes!
Walter Duda says
Im wondered and now I know, can’t wait to try it.
E says
Fabulous instructions!! I am SO happy to have found this. I didn’t have time to chill the batter but the muffins still rose beautifully and stayed high after cooling. My family was thrilled with the tall perfectly topped muffins and this is my new go-to baking method!
Angie Tabor says
Thank u for these cooking steps I have been curious about this for a long time . Gonna make batter tonight and bake in the morning
Laurie Mugavero says
Smart cookie you go girl.
Veen says
Great tips! Question — I made muffins today that had a nice dome, but after the muffins cooked down the dome sunk 🙁 Hoe do I prevent that? Thanks for any pointers.
TKWAdmin says
Did you follow my instructions? I’ve never had that happen in using these instrrucrions.
Tell me about your recipe.
Best Kitchen Wishes!
JodiBo says
I had the same thing happen to me – I made a pumpkin muffin with cream cheese filling. Not sure if it’s the filling that caused the sinking?
TKWAdmin says
Hi Jodi!
So a few things can cause this. I’ve used these same instructions for filled muffins and they come out fine (high and domed). If you open your oven door often, letting in cooler air, it will cause your muffins to sink as they cool. Also, underbaking them as well will cause them to sink. Since you’re adding more moisture (cream cheese filling) to your batter, are you accounting for that in your flour? The obvious things are outdated leaving agents, not mixing the batter properly (overmixing and adding too much air into the batter).
Best Kitchen Wishes!
Virginia Howard says
This method is genius! Once again it made me look like a better baker than I ever throught possible.
TKWAdmin says
YEAH!!! So happy it worked for you!
Best Kitchen Wishes!
Darla Budd says
Thank you for this information. Now I can have consistently high-domed muffins. The tips work perfectly!!