Muffin
Muffin [ ˈmafɪn ] is the name for two different types of pastry . The American muffins are small round cakes that are mostly made with baking powder and baked in special baking tins . In the United Kingdom , the name is flat yeast pastry that is eaten like toast . In the United States, these are known as English muffins .
etymology
The origin of the term muffin is not exactly clear. Linguists derive it from the old French term moufflet for bread; the word meant "soft". However, reference is also made to Low German word forms (Muffengebäck).
Muffin in the UK
It is not known how long muffins have been around in the British Isles . The term can be traced back to the beginning of the 18th century; the first recipes date from the middle of the 18th century. They were very popular in the 19th century and were sold on the street by Muffin Men at tea time . The vendors' loud shouting and ringing bells were forbidden by law around 1840, because many people felt disturbed by it; but the ban could not be enforced.
The English muffin is made from a special yeast dough that is baked on a baking sheet with round indentations that contain liquid fat. It bears no resemblance to the American muffin, but looks more like a flat bun that is toasted in the toaster before consumption (in Germany, comparable products are offered under the name of toast buns ). The muffins are sold cut in half.
For the dough, a fortified milk is first made from water, shortening, sugar, salt and milk powder . By using powdered milk, the result is that the liquid contains more protein and lactose than normal milk. This improves the aroma and the dough browns more intensively. This liquid is mixed with yeast and flour , after the dough has risen it is filled into round shapes and baked on both sides on a hot plate. English muffins are made with both rye and wheat flour.
Muffin in the United States
British emigrants brought the muffin to North America in the 19th century . The American muffin is not made from yeast dough, but from batter with the help of leavening agents such as baking powder and baking soda .
There are a number of different muffin recipes that differ in terms of the ingredients. The use of liquid shortening ( cooking oil or melted butter ) and the correct acidity in the dough in combination with the leavening agent are important for the correct consistency of the dough. The more acidic the liquid ingredients such as buttermilk or yoghurt , the more baking soda has to be added instead of baking powder. The difference to the latter lies in the special type of preparation, the "muffin method". The solid ingredients (flour, baking powder, salt, baking soda) and the liquid ingredients (sugar, oil, milk, buttermilk, yogurt, eggs) are first mixed separately. Then the liquid mixture is added to the dry ones and the dough is mixed for only about ten seconds. If the mixture is mixed for a long time, too much glue would develop in the dough and the CO 2 bubbles in the dough would become too large. If the muffin is to contain other ingredients (nuts, chocolate chips or the very popular blueberries ), add them now and stir in briefly. The dough is baked in special metal or silicone baking molds in the oven to create the typical shape.
Three states in the USA have declared muffins to be official state muffins : Minnesota the blueberry muffin (since 1988), New York the apple muffin (since 1987) and Massachusetts the corn muffin made from cornmeal (since 1986). Muffins are not the same as cupcakes . The latter have a similar shape to muffins, but usually do not contain nuts or the like and are decorated with a frosting made of cream or icing.
Individual evidence
- ^ A b c Alan Davidson : The Oxford Companion to Food. 2nd edition, edited by Tom Jaine. Oxford University Press, Oxford u. a. 2006, ISBN 0-19-280681-5 , muffin.
- ↑ Laws of Minnesota 1988: Chapter 657-SF No. 1686 "An act relating to the state muffin". The Office of the Revisor of Statutes, April 26, 1988, accessed January 25, 2014 .
- ^ New York State Information. New York State Library , September 26, 2013, accessed January 25, 2014 .
- ^ Massachusetts Facts, State Symbols. Secretary of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, accessed January 25, 2014 (State Muffin since May 27, 1986).
Web links
- Gerhard Müller: Muffins. (PDF, 120 KB) (No longer available online.) August 5, 2011, p. 2 , archived from the original on February 2, 2014 ; Retrieved on January 25, 2014 (Originally as a brief telephone information in the magazine Der Sprachdienst (Wiesbaden), issue 2/2009, p. 64 f., revised, expanded and supplemented here, as of August 2011).