Strawberry Muffins

I’ve been baking a looong time, and I have some definite opinions about the humble muffin.

A good muffin should have a soft, but substantial, open crumb. They should be moist but not super sweet. They are not just a cupcake without icing. Muffins have their own identity.

Muffins should be as easy and quick to make as they are to eat. Enter the “muffin method” of mixing.

With the muffin method, all the dry ingredients are combined in one bowl, the wet ingredients in another, and the two are mixed just until combined. Without creaming or careful folding of ingredients this simplified mixing method does not produce as fine a crumb as you’d want in a classic Pound Cake, but it works perfectly to make a hearty muffin.

About This Recipe

Generally my muffins have less sugar, fat and eggs than my cake recipes. Muffins contain all purpose flour or whole grain flour, rather than cake flour, for a more substantial texture. A higher protein flour and the proportion of ingredients means muffin batter is thicker and has a little more gluten than cake batter. So it can support the typical muffin mix-ins of berries, fruits and nuts.

With a hearty texture and shortbread crumble topping, these strawberry muffins are an easy to make treat fit for breakfast, snack time or tea time.

The juices released from the berries while the muffins are baking, along with a little oil, keeps them moist. Buttermilk tenderizes the crumb and adds a subtle tang that complements the strawberry flavor.

Ingredients

Ingredient Notes

• All Purpose Flour: All purpose flour has a medium protein content. Thanks to the gluten in the batter the muffins can form a nice dome as they bake and can support the chopped berries and crumb topping.
• Sugar: This batter has a relatively low amount of sugar. The topping does add a layer of sweetness to the muffins. You can make the muffins without the topping if you prefer even less sugar.
• Buttermilk: Buttermilk has wonderful flavor and the acidity tenderizes the crumb. Buttermilk powder is the best substitute for fresh buttermilk. In a pinch you can use whole milk thickened with a tablespoon of lemon juice or vinegar. Yogurt thinned with a little milk will also work.
• Eggs – Help form the structure of the muffin.
• Strawberries: Use local, seasonal berries if they are available. That being said, I used supermarket berries for my recipe testing because that’s all that was available and still got a great result.

Process Photos

Here’s what the recipe process looks like at each stage. Refer to the recipe card below for measurements and exact instructions.

• Combine the dry ingredients in one bowl and the wet ingredients in another bowl. Chop the strawberries.
• Toss the strawberries with the dry ingredients.
• Add the wet ingredients and mix just until combined. Don’t overmix.

• Mix the flour, sugar and butter for the crumb topping. It will look like wet, lumpy sand.
• Scoop the muffin batter into the prepared pan.
• Sprinkle a few pieces of berry on each muffin.
• Divide the crumb topping between the muffins.

• You can bake the muffins immediately or you can chill the muffins overnight and bake in the morning.
• Bake until the middle of one of the center muffins springs back when lightly pressed.

Make Ahead Tips

There are several options for a make-ahead schedule:

1. Prep ahead: Mix the dry ingredients, make the crumb topping, then hold both at room temperature. Mix the wet ingredients and refrigerate until you’re ready to mix the batter. It’s best to chop the strawberries just before you’re ready to mix the batter.
2. Mix & a brief rest: The muffins can be baked as soon as they’re scooped into the pan. A brief 30-60 minute rest is fine if it fits your schedule but isn’t necessary.
3. Chill overnight: You can scoop the muffins and hold them in the refrigerator overnight. In the morning allow the muffins to sit at room temperature while the oven preheats, then bake.

Storage

These Strawberry Muffins are best eaten slightly warm from the oven or the day they are baked. They will keep, covered, at room temperature for 2 days. Don’t refrigerate the muffins. Leftover muffins can be frozen for up to a month. To revive the texture, previously frozen muffins can be warmed in a low-oven (200F).

For more ideas peruse all my muffin recipes, everything from classic blueberry to healthy and hearty bran muffins.

Visit this page to see all my Strawberry recipes in one place with lots of information of about buying, storing and using fresh strawberries.