Go Back

Very Berry Muffins

A masterclass in batter hydration and fruit suspension. By utilizing a blend of all-purpose and pastry flour, this highly tender, orange-scented batter effortlessly suspends heavy fresh berries, yielding a towering, beautifully domed muffin finished with a shattered sugar crust.
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 45 minutes
Servings: 12 muffins
Course: Breakfast

Ingredients
  

The Dry Architecture
  • 2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
  • 1 cup pastry flour
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • ½ teaspoon kosher salt
The Wet Emulsion & Citrus
  • ½ cup unsalted butter 1 stick, melted and cooled
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 3 large eggs
  • ¾ cup whole milk
  • 3 tablespoons fresh orange juice from ½ orange
  • 2 teaspoons fresh orange zest from ½ orange
The Fruit Suspension & Finish
  • 1 cup fresh blueberries
  • 1 cup fresh raspberries
  • Granulated sugar for heavy dusting

Method
 

The Dry Foundation
  1. Preheat the oven to 375°F. Line a standard 12-cup metal muffin pan with high-quality paper liners.
  2. In a large ceramic mixing bowl, vigorously whisk together the all-purpose flour, pastry flour, baking powder, ground cinnamon, and kosher salt. (The inclusion of pastry flour lowers the overall protein content, yielding a profoundly tender crumb).
The Wet Emulsion
  1. In a separate medium bowl, whisk together the melted butter, granulated sugar, eggs, whole milk, fresh orange juice, and orange zest until completely unified and smooth.
The Architectural Integration
  1. Pour the wet emulsion directly into the dry flour mixture. Use a wooden spoon or rubber spatula to fold the ingredients together strictly until just combined. The batter will be very thick; do not overmix, or the gluten will overdevelop and create a tough muffin.
  2. Coarsely chop the raspberries (and large blueberries if necessary). Gently fold the berries into the thick batter by hand, ensuring they do not crush and bleed into the dough.
Portioning & The Thermal Bake
  1. Use a heavy-duty 3-inch ice cream scoop to portion the batter evenly into the prepared muffin tin, filling each cup nearly to the top to encourage a high, dramatic dome.
  2. Aggressively sprinkle the absolute tops of the raw batter with an even, heavy layer of granulated sugar to create a shattered, crystallized crust.
  3. Bake in the preheated oven for 25 to 30 minutes, or until the muffins are deeply golden brown and a wooden tester inserted into the center comes out perfectly clean.
  4. Allow the muffins to cool in the pan for exactly 5 minutes to set their structure before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.