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.
Meagan says
What if you’re using a flour that doesn’t have gluten? Would that affect it? Specifically tiger nut flour. I DO use a homemade baking powder (arrowroot, baking soda, cream of tartar) bc I can’t have cornstarch. Any suggestions? I made banana muffins today and they were really sad. Tasted amazing though luckily.
TKWAdmin says
Hi Meagan,
That’s a new one for me – tiger nut flour. I’ve actually never heard of it. The leavening should be the magic you need to make these puffy and rise. The gluten isn’t the cause of the rise but what it will do is help sustain the rise by trapping the air (gas) that the leavening produces. However if you can use xantham or guar gum in place of the gluten you should be OK. Let me know if that helps!
Best Kitchen Wishes!
rhonda says
I’ve always read that you need to get the batter in the oven right away because the leaveners have been activated by the wet ingredients. Is that true or not? I’ve been baking a long time, but its still kind of a mystery to me at times when I read conflicting things.
TKWAdmin says
Hi Rhonda,
So it depends on the type of batter. Cake batter for cakes, yes, it needs to be made immediately. Muffins though you want the leavening to work to aerate and make them high. By allowing the batter to rest, you’re allowing the gluten to relax, the liquid to be absorbed thus producing a more fluffier, higher domed product.
My advice, honestly is test this out. The only thing I would go with is a basic muffin batter and not buttermilk as there are some tweaks to be made with that as it’s much heavier than say traditional muffin batter.
Best Kitchen Wishes!
Rhonda says
thank you for answering! I’ll give it a try.
Lisa Rose Allman says
Mine didn’t look quite like that. I wonder if they didn’t raise more due to the fact that my recipe called for buttermilk and as I didn’t have any I used milk mixed with vinegar. Maybe I should have added a little baking powder. The muffins were “Best Apple Pie Muffins” that I found online. They were delicious and still higher than usual. Also, they were very pretty. I will definitely use this procedure in the future. Thanks for the tips.
Lisa Rose Allman says
Mine didn’t look quite like that. I wonder if they didn’t raise more due to the fact that my recipe called for buttermilk and as I didn’t have any I used milk mixed with vinegar. Maybe I should have added a little baking powder. The muffins were “Best Apple Pie Muffins” that I found online. They were delicious and still higher than usual. Also, they were very pretty. I will definitely use this procedure in the future. Thanks for the tips.
TKWAdmin says
Hi Lisa,
Yes if you’re using buttermilk you need to adding baking powder. Buttermilk (or even milk with vinegar) needs baking powder to act as it’s leavening agent. Try that next time!
Best Kitchen Wishes!
Laurien says
Hi! I love these tips! Are we talking about the ovensettings at conventional or with the air vent on? Because then we need to alter the temperature correct?
TKWAdmin says
Hi Laurie!
Conventional. Convection needs to be reduced 25 degrees.
Best Kitchen Wishes!
ELLEN PIERNO says
I have been baking muffins for years, but have always had soggy bottoms when I used my cast iron muffin pan. To counter this I would flip muffins to finish baking and brown the bottoms. . Any other suggestions?
I use aluminum also, but I like cast iron too.
TKWAdmin says
Hi Ellen,
That’s so odd to have soggy bottoms but a firm top when you bake in a cast iron pan. The only time I’ve ever had soggy bottom muffins is when I left them in the pan to cool. You should never do that. As soon as you take them out of the oven, within a minute you should flip them out.
Best Kitchen Wishes!
Dolce says
Hello there, I am happy I found your website. Could you please give me some tips to adapt this recipe for high altitude? I live in Denver and as you know things get complicated when baking here. I would really appreciate it. 🙂
TKWAdmin says
Hi Dolce!
Welcome to the TKW website! I wrote an article a few years ago to help with high altitude baking. https://www.thekitchenwhisperer.net/2011/12/05/livin-in-the-clouds-high-altitude-baking/ Hopefully that will help you out 🙂
Best Kitchen Wishes!
Judy says
I tried your sugguestions on how to achieve a dome on my muffins. I made pumpkin cranberry and followed your direction exactly. I refrigerated the mixture overnight in the fridge. Filleted them close to the top of the pan. Put them into a 425 degree oven for 8 minutes. Turned it down to 350 for about 10 minutes. Did not open the oven but turned on the oven light. They were prefect.
I also read the article about how to stop muffins from getting wet. Since I wanted to serve them the next morning, I made them the night before. I cooled them on a rack until completely cooled then covered them with a cotton tea towel. They were great in the morning. I had also tried storing some in a Tupperware container. I first put a paper towel in the bottom of the container. Added the cooled muffins then put another paper towel on the top of the muffins. I closed the lid and the top remained dry.
Thank you so much for the help.
TKWAdmin says
Hi Judy!
I swear by that muffin method. It’s never failed me yet. And so happy to hear that you used my muffin tips too! I hate a soggy bottom or top muffin! And you are most welcome 🙂 Thank you for the kind words!
Best Kitchen Wishes!
Kim says
HI just wondering if you have any tips for storage. I find that after they cool and I store them the next day they are “wet” on the top. What am I doing wrong? Be it a plastic container bag, on the counter with a towel over them.
TKWAdmin says
Hi Kim!
Actually yes! Check out this post – https://www.thekitchenwhisperer.net/2017/06/06/tuesdays-tip-with-the-kitchen-whisperer-reviving-day-old-muffins/
“To store the muffins I put them in a paper towel lined container both on the top and bottom. The paper towels tend to help capture any extra moisture that starts to form. If your muffin is high say in fruit or sugars, eventually they will break down and start to weep a syrupy mixture.”
Best Kitchen Wishes!
Teresa says
Hi can anybody kindly send me a recipe for jumbo muffins please. The ones in the bakery are huge but mine never rise high. I can’t seem to find a recipe that works. Kindest regards Teresa
TKWAdmin says
Hi Teresa!
It’s not so much the recipe but rather the method. This is the method. Look at this recipe for guidance. https://www.thekitchenwhisperer.net/2016/12/30/butterscotch-sweet-potato-raisin-muffins/
Best Kitchen Wishes!
Nat says
Hi,
Once the batter has rested in the fridge….do you scoop it cold into the muffin tin or does it have to be room temperature before baking?
Thanks kindly
TKWAdmin says
Hi Nat,
Nope you can scoop straight from the fridge!
Best Kitchen Wishes!
Lana says
Do I cover the batter while it’s resting in the fridge overnight?
TKWAdmin says
Yes you do, I thought I noted that in the directions. If not I will update.
Best Kitchen Wishes!