Bakery-Style Blueberry Muffins
Tall domed muffins with a crunchy sugar top, from a thick batter and a hot oven start.
The dome is not luck. It comes from a batter thick enough to stand up, tins filled properly full, and a blast of high heat at the start that forces a fast rise before the crumb sets.
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How to make Bakery-Style Blueberry Muffins
Ingredients
Quantities scale automatically. Cooking times stay the same.
Dry
Wet
Fruit and top
Equipment
- 12-hole muffin tin
- Paper cases
- Two bowls
- Ice cream scoop
Method
-
1
Heat the oven high
Heat the oven to 220C / 425F and line a muffin tin. The initial blast of heat is what creates the dome, so do not start lower.
-
2
Combine the dry ingredients
Whisk the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt together thoroughly.
-
3
Mix the wet
In a second bowl whisk the eggs, yogurt, melted butter, milk, vanilla and lemon zest until smooth.
-
4
Toss the berries
Toss the blueberries with the tablespoon of flour, which stops them sinking to the bottom. If using frozen, keep them frozen until this moment or they bleed.
-
5
Fold, barely
Pour the wet into the dry and fold about twelve times, until just combined. The batter should be very thick and lumpy. Fold the berries through with two more strokes.
-
6
Fill high and drop the heat
Fill the cases right to the top, sprinkle with demerara, and bake at 220C for 5 minutes. Without opening the door, reduce to 190C / 375F and bake 16-18 minutes more, until a skewer comes out clean.
Cook’s tips
- Fill the cases completely full. Two-thirds full gives flat muffins, however good the batter.
- The high-then-low oven trick is what produces bakery domes; a constant moderate heat never will.
- Toss berries in flour and keep frozen ones frozen, or you get grey batter and a soggy base.
Variations
- Swap blueberries for raspberries or chopped rhubarb with an extra tablespoon of sugar.
- Add a streusel top: rub 50 g butter into 75 g flour and 50 g brown sugar.
- Use orange zest and cranberries for a winter version.
Storage and make-ahead
Best on the day, good for 3 days in an airtight tin with a sheet of kitchen paper underneath to absorb moisture. Freeze for 2 months and thaw at room temperature or warm 15 seconds in the microwave.
Nutrition per serving
| Calories | 328 kcal |
|---|---|
| Protein | 5 g |
| Carbohydrates | 48 g |
| Fat | 13 g |
| Fibre | 2 g |
| Sugar | 26 g |
| Sodium | 260 mg |
Nutrition is estimated from ingredient averages and will vary with brands and portioning.
