Muffins - with flavors from plain vanilla to Jasmine

As with most muffin recipes, you mix the dry ingredients together in a bowl, mix the wet ingredients together in a separate bowl, and then mix the wet with the dry (just until combined,) right before filling the muffin tin and baking.

Basic Ingredients:

Non-changing Dry Ingredients are:

• 1/2 cup sugar;
• 3 Tablespoon baking powder;
• 1/2 teaspoon salt;

Dry Ingredients with options:

• 2 cups flour: you can use 1 cup all-purpose and 1 cup whole wheat, 2 cups all-purpose, or substitute 1 to 2 Tbsp wheat germ or wheat bran for an equal amount of flour, etc.; I use 1 cup all-purpose and 1 cup white whole wheat flour available from King Arthur Flour;

Non-changing Wet Ingredients are:

• 1 egg;
• 1/4 cup honey;

Wet Ingredients with options:

• 1 cup whole milk: this can be made up of a combination of milks with various fat content if you don’t have whole milk, such as 3/4 cup low fat + 1/4 cup cream, or 1/2 cup each low fat and half & half, etc.;
  
• 1/4 cup butter: you can substitute 1/4 cup applesauce, or 2 Tablespoon each applesauce and melted butter;
  
• 1/2 teaspoon flavoring of your choice: extracts such as vanilla, lemon, orange, almond, various citrus zests, both extract and zest, cinnamon, ginger, etc. See suggestions following directions for inspiration.
  

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit and spray the muffin pan (approx 12 muffin cups) with cooking spray.

If using butter, melt it in the microwave or on the stove top and set it aside to cool. (If you make the tea-flavored muffins described below, this is the time to heat the milk and steep the tea.)

In a medium sized bowl combine both flours, sugar, baking powder, and salt. If you are adding dry items such as cinnamon, poppy seeds, wheat bran, etc. add it to this mixture.

Beat the egg by hand in a large mixing bowl and add the milk, honey, and any extract or zest. Add the now-cooled butter or optional applesauce and mix.

Add the flour mixture into the wet ingredients and stir just to combine.

Divide mixture evenly among the muffin cups (filling about 3/4 of each cup) and bake in preheated oven for 12-16 minutes. Test: if a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, they are done.

Easy Cinnamon Streusel Muffins

Here are some flavor suggestions to get your creative juices flowing:

Almond-poppy seed: 1/2 teaspoon almond extract and 1 Tablespoon poppy seeds; top with sliced almonds;

Streusel-topped cinnamon muffins : Add 1 teaspoon cinnamon to the muffin batter. Mix 1/4 cup brown sugar and 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon together and sprinkle evenly on top of the filled muffin cups before baking.

Blueberry: Add 2 Tablespoons extra sugar to flour mixture, and fold 3/4 cup fresh or thawed frozen blueberries to the batter just before filling muffin cups;

Lemon: Add 1 teaspoon grated lemon peel to the flour and ½ teaspoon lemon extract to the liquids; try this with the extra sugar and blueberries in the blueberry muffin version above for a real taste treat.

Tea flavored muffins: Warm the milk in the microwave or in a saucepan over low heat until it is quite hot, but not boiling (130-160 degrees Fahrenheit.) Steep 3 tea bags or 3 teaspoons of loose leaf tea of your choice in the hot milk for approximately 5 minutes. After steeping, squeeze excess liquid out of tea  bags or strain tea leaves out of milk and allow the milk to cool while you mix the other ingredients. Add more milk, if necessary, to make one full cup.

Try teas such as Earl Grey, Green Ginger, Jasmine, green tea, etc., whatever flavor you prefer. Orange extract or zest makes a very nice addition to Earl Grey tea muffins, while lemon extract or zest makes a delicious complement to green or green-ginger tea muffins. Experiment until you discover your favorite combination.

Now it’s your turn to get creative. Let us know what flavor combinations you come up with, and we will share them here.

Serve your muffins warm or at room temperature to lucky recipients. It’s a good thing they are quick and easy to make, because they will go fast.

There seems to be no end to the creativity you can lavish on this recipe, so try a few of these variations and let us know how it turns out.

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NO-KNEAD BEER BREAD

Many people report that substituting beer for part of the water and adding a touch of vinegar add a lot of flavor to the loaf. Make the loaf as usual following the basic no knead bread recipe with these changes:

Use only half the amount of water and replace the other half with mild flavored beer and  1 Tbsp. white vinegar.

Use only half the amount of water and replace the other half with lager and 1 Tbsp balsamic vinegar.

NO-KNEAD BREAD WITH BUTTERMILK OR WHEY

Substitute whey or buttermilk for some or all of the water.

NO-KNEAD BREAD WITH GARLIC OR HERBS

Many report the addition of garlic is wonderful. The strong flavor of garlic tends to be neutralized by baking, so if you love it don’t be afraid to add quite a bit.

Add chopped garlic and/or fresh or dried herbs to the flour and then follow the basic recipe as usual. Use herbs such as: rosemary, thyme, sage, oregano, coarsely ground black pepper, dried Italian herb mixes, citrus peel, cinnamon, poppy seeds, etc.

Suggested herb combinations:

• 1 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary
• 1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme
• 1 teaspoon chopped fresh sage

***

• 2 tsp. chopped fresh rosemary
• 2 tsp. chopped lemon zest

NO-KNEAD BREAD WITH FRUIT, NUTS, OR SEEDS

As with traditional breads, mix in fruits and nuts when you shape the dough before the second rise.

Try adding dried fruits in small pieces such as raisins, apples, cherries, apricots, orange or lemon peel, etc.

Chopped nuts and seeds also work well: almonds, walnuts, poppy seeds, flax seed, etc.

NO-KNEAD BREAD WITH CHEESE

Depending on the size of the cheese bits and the moisture they contain, you can add cheese to the flour before mixing in the liquid, or add it during the shaping before the final rise. Cheeses such as grated or shredded Parmesan or Parmigiano-Reggiano should be fine when added to the flour.

Keep in mind that if you follow the basic recipe directions you will be leaving the dough out at room temperature for 12 to 18 hours, so don’t add anything that you believe will go bad during that time period. Alternatively, you can place the dough in the refrigerator, rather than leave it out on the counter. In that case, you will probably want to allow it it to sit for at least 24 hours. Allow it to sit at room temperature for the second/final rise before baking.

If you want to use larger chunks, or maybe have Cheddar or Gruyere cheese oozing out of your freshly baked bread, I recommend adding the cheese chunks during the folding and shaping process before the final 1 to 3 hour rise.

NO-KNEAD BREAD WITH VEGETABLES

Sun-dried tomatoes, sliced Jalapeno peppers, spinach, grated carrots, black or Kalamata olives, and more can be added to the basic no-knead bread recipe to liven it up. Most of these would be added during the shaping before the second rise, with the exception of the spinach. Try blending frozen spinach with the water and adding it at the beginning.

NO-KNEAD BREAD WITH EXTRA GRAINS

Many are thrilled with the result of adding various grains to no-knead bread. Some of the most popular additions are old-fashioned or steel cut oats (not quick cooking oats,) wheat bran, wheat germ, one of the many 6 or 7-grain cereals on the market, etc.

Try adding just 1/2 cup of  any of these for a flavor and texture boost. You may have to increase the liquid content slightly for the added grains. Mix it up and add an extra Tablespoon of liquid at a time until you reach the consistency you are used to. Remember, it should be sticky.

MIX IT UP – COMBINATIONS

Now that you have a few ideas try combining the above for taste treats.

Some of my favorite combinations: dried cherry-almond no-knead bread; sun dried tomato-marinated artichoke heart-provolone cheese no-knead bread

Additional combinations to try:

• dried cherry-semi-sweet chocolate chip bread;
• sun dried tomato-olive-Parmesan cheese bread;
• apple-raisin-cinnamon bread;
• spinach-sun dried tomato-Gruyere cheese bread;
• apple-oatmeal bread;
• Jalapeno pepper/Cheese bread;
• rosemary-garlic bread;
• dried cranberry-pecan bread;

You get the idea …

DRESS IT UP

If you want to give your no-knead bread a little glitz try dressing it up with a sprinkling of oatmeal, sesame seeds, poppy seeds, sunflower seeds, or a combination, etc. just before baking. You can spray a little water on top of the loaf and sprinkle on the decor, or apply it before the second rise.

Another method I have not yet tried myself is to spray a bowl with cooking spray, sprinkle in the seed or combination of seeds of your choice, and then place the dough into the bowl for the second rise. It will coat the dough ball with seeds, and then you have only to sprinkle the same seed on the top. This may also help the dough to slip out of the bowl and into the baking dish more easily.  (I will have to try this with my next loaf.)

Others say they love the added kick that comes from a sprinkling of sea salt on top of the loaf just before baking.

CONCLUSION

There is really is no end to the variety that is possible with this great basic recipe. That is one of the things that makes it so great. So, go forth and create your own variation and be sure to let us know so that we can share it here.

I find that, while the process is so easy, or maybe because it is so easy, people tend to complicate it.

Actually, the less effort I put into making a loaf of no-knead bread, the better it turns out. That’s not to say one shouldn’t be creative in trying variations and seasonings, (see No-Knead Bread Variations,)  it simply is not necessary to tinker with the basic method.

Two important things:

Two of the most important techniques to the success of the no-knead process are:

1) a very long first rise period for great flavor – 18 hours minimum is best; and

2) baking the bread in a  heavy, covered baking pot that has been preheated for one-half hour until very hot. (I use my grandmother’s Dutch oven and it works like a charm.)

One other thing I have found helpful is to write down the time that I start the dough. It sits for so long that it is easy to forget what time it was when I started.

Here is the sound-byte version for those who want to get right to baking:

1- Mix 3 cups bread flour, 1 and 1/2 to 2 tsp. salt, 1/4 tsp. yeast, and 1 and 1/3 cups cool water in a large bowl, and cover with plastic wrap.

2- Let it sit for 12 to 18 hours – the longer time results in better flavor.

3- When the top is covered with bubbles, shape it into a sort of ball, then cover it and allow to rise again for 1 to 3 hours.

4- Preheat the oven and the Dutch oven or other baking dish (with lid) to 450 degrees F.

5- Put the dough in the preheated baking dish and put the lid on.

5- Bake at 450 degrees F with the lid on for 30 minutes. Remove lid and bake another 15 minutes or so until done.

For those who like more detail and photos, here is the full annotated and illustrated version:

No-Knead Bread Basic Recipe:

Ingredients:

• 3 cups bread flour
• 1 & 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/4 tsp. yeast
• 1 & 1/3 cups cool water (55 to 65 °F)
• wheat bran, cornmeal, or additional flour for dusting

Directions:

Mix the flour, salt, and yeast together in a large bowl.

Note: Some people have complained that the dough requires more salt. I increased the salt from 1 & 1/4 tsp. to 1 & 1/2 tsp. This tastes fine to me, but you can play around with the amount. For additional flavor enhancements and other ways to jazz it up see No-Knead Bread Variations.

Add the water and mix with a wooden spoon or rubber spatula to form a wet, sticky dough. Someone people recommend you mix the dough with your hands, but if you do you will covered in sticky dough, which leaves less for your loaf.

If the dough (batter really) is not sticky enough, add a Tablespoon or two of water until it is.

Here is a picture of the sticky batter that you start with.

No-Knead Bread dough sticky batter

First Rise:

Cover the bowl with plastic wrap or a clean cotton or linen cloth or tea towel and let it sit at room temperature (about 70 degrees F), out of direct sunlight, for about 12 to 18 hours or more. The cooler your room, the longer you will want to leave it.

Note: Some variations on this recipe instruct the baker to place the dough in the refrigerator, either for the entire rising time, or for 12 to 24 hours followed by 12 hours or so at room temperature.

When is it Ready?

The dough is ready for the next step when the surface is covered with bubbles and the dough has doubled in size or more.

The dough will be VERY sticky, but do not add more flour. Use a rubber spatula or scraper to  remove it from the bowl in one piece. When you scrape it out of the bowl you will notice a stringy consistency caused by the gluten.

Here is a picture showing the stringy consistency caused by the gluten.

Gluten strands in No-Knead Bread dough after first rise

Shape the Dough:

Place the dough on a floured board or piece of parchment (cooking) paper and dust it with flour.

Shape the dough by folding it in on itself to form a ball.

No Knead Bread shaped after first rise

Second Rising:

Take a second piece of parchment paper or a cotton or linen tea towel (NOT terry cloth, unless you like cotton fibers in your bread,) and heavily dust it with wheat bran, cornmeal, or flour.

Transfer the shaped dough onto the parchment paper or cotton tea towel. Dust the top of the dough with additional flour, wheat bran, or cornmeal. If using parchment paper cover the dough with plastic wrap. If using a tea towel/cloth, cover the dough loosely with a second cloth.

If you use the flour-dusted parchment paper method, set the whole thing -parchment paper and dough- into a large shallow bowl or skillet for the second rise. When it is time to place it in the preheated Dutch oven you can set the parchment paper and the dough into the Dutch oven and then put the lid on. This works just fine. The parchment paper is perfectly safe in the Dutch oven. The only drawback is that this can detract from the perfect “look” of the bread where the parchment paper folds and sort of cuts into the dough while the bread bakes.

Place the dough in a warm, draft-free spot, out of direct sunlight,  and allow it to rise for one to three hours until it almost doubles.

Note: During cooler weather this rising time will tend towards the longer time of three hours; if the weather is warmer, the rising time will decrease to more like one hour.

Is it ready?

To test whether the dough is ready to bake, poke it with your finger. If it holds the impression it is ready. If it springs back, wait another 15 minutes and check again.

Preheat oven and Dutch oven:

About one-half hour before you anticipate the dough being ready, move the oven rack to the lower third of the oven and place a Dutch oven with lid  or other deep, heavy duty covered casserole dish with lid in the oven.  Pre-heat the oven with the baking dish and the lid in it to 450 degrees F for 30 minutes. (Be sure the handle on your baking dish can withstand this temperature before you place it in the oven. Some baking dish handles cannot take 450F!)

When the oven and covered pot are both completely preheated, place the dough in the hot baking pot and cover it with the lid. If you used parchment paper you can set the parchment paper with the dough in it directly into the baking dish and then cover with the lid.

Baking Time:

Bake 30 minutes.  Remove the lid and continue to bake another 15 to 20 minutes uncovered until golden brown.

Notes:

While I was making a loaf of no-knead bread a couple of weeks ago, I only had a minute or two after the dough had completed the first rise to sort of stir the dough (really a batter at that point) around a bit, instead of doing the the “folding it over on a flour-dusted board” thing before the second rise.

When it came time to bake it, I sort of scooped the sticky mess into my Oh-so-hot Dutch oven and closed the lid, then slid it back into the oven. That loaf came out looking just great, and the texture was superb, as always!

Alternatively, I find that after the first rise, if I turn the dough out onto a WELL floured board it is much easier to shape. I wash out the bowl I used to mix it in, dust the inside well with flour, and then place the ball of dough back into the bowl. cover it again with plastic wrap and let it rise for another two to three hours. I up-end the bowl over the Dutch oven and the dough plops in. If it is uneven, the dough will even out while it bakes into a beautiful loaf.

One word of caution: do not allow the bread to over-proof (rise too much) during the second rise period. Placing the dough in the oven before it has completely risen gives it a quick boost in rising when it is first placed in the hot oven and results in a pretty crust with classic cracks on top.

By the way, I do NOT remove the way-too-hot preheated Dutch oven from the oven to place the dough in it. I simply slide the oven rack out far enough to take off the lid, put the dough inside, and then replace the lid.

Wikipedia says this about Yorkshire Pudding:

When wheat flour began to come into common use for making cakes and puddings, cooks in the north of England devised a means of making use of the fat that dropped into the dripping pan to cook a batter pudding while the meat roasted. In 1737 a recipe for ‘A dripping pudding’ was published in “The Whole Duty of a Woman”:[1]

Make a good batter as for pancakes; put in a hot toss-pan over the fire with a bit of butter to fry the bottom a little then put the pan and butter under a shoulder of mutton, instead of a dripping pan, keeping frequently shaking it by the handle and it will be light and savoury, and fit to take up when your mutton is enough; then turn it in a dish and serve it hot.

Similar instructions were published in 1747 in ‘The Art of Cookery Made Plain and Simple’ by Hannah Glasse under the title of ‘Yorkshire pudding’. It was she who re-invented and re-named the original version, called Dripping Pudding, which had been cooked in England for centuries, although these puddings were much flatter than the puffy versions known today.[2]

A 2008 ruling by the Royal Society of Chemistry has it that “A Yorkshire pudding isn’t a Yorkshire pudding if it is less than four inches tall”.[3]

The Yorkshire pudding is a staple of the British Sunday lunch and in some cases is eaten as a separate course prior to the main meat dish. This was the traditional method of eating the pudding and is still common in parts of Yorkshire today. Because the rich gravy from the roast meat drippings was used up with the first course, the main meat and vegetable course was often served with a parsley or white sauce.

It is often claimed that the purpose of the dish was to provide a cheap way to fill the diners – the Yorkshire pudding being much cheaper than the other constituents of the meal – thus stretching a lesser amount of the more expensive ingredients as the Yorkshire pudding was traditionally served first.[4]

There are other uses for the traditional Yorkshire pudding and in various parts of the country but particularly in the North of England, the Yorkshire pudding is served as a snack with jam or as a ‘pudding’ in the true sense, sometimes with jam and ice cream.

You can buy pre-packaged Yorkshire mixes, but it’s not necessary. Making your own isn’t complicated at all and you probably have the ingredients sitting in your pantry right now.

Supplies Needed:

Ingredients to make Yorkshire Pudding

• 2  lg eggs
• 1 cup milk
• 1 cup flour
• 2 tbsp vegetable oil (or beef drippings, if available)
• Salt – optional

Also have on hand:

• whisk
• mixing bowl
• teaspoon
• ladle and
• muffin pan.

Yields: 12
Preparation Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes

Step 1: Preheat Oven

Make sure rack is on middle setting and preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Preheat the oven for the Yorkshire Pudding

Step 2: Mix Ingredients

In a small mixing bowl place 1 cup flour. We are using whole wheat flour here and it turns out quite nicely, but you can use white flour if you prefer.

Add the flour.

Add 1 cup of milk.

Add the milk.

Crack and add 2 eggs.

Crack and add eggs.

Whisk only until ingredients are fully mixed; do not over-mix.

Whisk until mixed.

Step 3: Get Ready for Baking

Take 2 Tbsp. of vegetable oil and place a little bit in each muffin tin. Then place the muffin tin in the preheated oven for 5 minutes.

Note: You can use beef drippings instead of vegetable oil, if you’re cooking your roast in a roasting pan and have drippings available. Personally, we find the vegetable oil heats up better and results in a better Yorkshire muffin, but connoisseurs may beg to differ.

Add oil to the muffin pan.

After 5 minutes remove the muffin pan with the hot oil. Immediately, distribute the batter among the 12 cups. Each cup will be about 1/3 or less full.

Add the batter to the muffin pan.

When the batter is evenly distributed, place the muffin pan in the oven for 30 minutes. Resist the temptation to open the oven before that or you might find your Yorkshire puddings don’t rise as well. If you need to check on them, turn on your oven’s internal light.

The finished Yorkshire Puddings.

Remove after 30 minutes and allow to cool slightly. Serve warm with roast beef and gravy, or with butter and jam.

A traditional Yorkshire Pudding fresh from the oven should be well-risen, golden brown with a crisp exterior and soft middle.

If you would be interested in hundreds of secret recipes, from restaurants all sorts, then check out Secret Recipes now.

These are tasty muffins that taste great all on their own. For an extra treat, top them with cream cheese icing. They freeze well, so make extra and have them on hand for a healthier treat. While some kids are pretty picky eaters, most of them will gobble these up, as will most of us grown-ups.

I wonder what kind of muffins the Night Elves would make?

This recipe makes about 1½ dozen (18) muffins.

Ingredients:

Carrot Muffin ingredients

• 2 cups whole wheat flour (all-purpose works too, but whole wheat is healthier, and you’ll have to have some pretty sharp taste buds to notice it  in the recipe.)
• 1  tsp cinnamon
• 1 Tbsp baking soda
• 1 Tbsp baking powder
• Pinch salt
• 3 eggs
• ¾ cup brown sugar
• ½ cup unsalted butter, melted
• 2-3 cups peeled and shredded carrots (With 3 cups, the carrots will be visible…if you’re trying to hide them, use a bit less or shred/grind them more finely. )
• 3/4 cup raisins, soaked in warm water for 10 minutes

Other Supplies

• 2 mixing bowls
• Measuring cups
• Measuring spoons
• Whisk, or fork, or mixing spoon
• Spoon or spatula
• Grater (for carrots)
• Muffin tin

Get Ready:

Preheat oven to 350 F.

Combine Dry Ingredients:

Add the following to a mixing bowl:

• flour,
• cinnamon,
• baking soda,
• baking powder and
• salt.

Dry ingredients for carrot muffins.

Whisk (or stir with a fork or mixing spoon) until well combined.

Combined ingredients

Combine Wet Ingredients and Sugar

In another mixing bowl add the wet ingredients (eggs and butter) and the brown sugar.

Combining the wet ingredients

Whisk until well mixed.

Mixing it all up

Combine Dry & Wet Ingredients

Add the wet mixture into the dry mixture and stir until combined. (Editor’s note: This may be a good time to switch to a spoon or fork, as the batter may get stuck in the whisk.)

Combining the wet and dry ingredients.

Add shredded carrot and raisins,

Add the Carrots and Raisins.

and stir until well combined. Then you’re ready to start baking.

Mix it all up.

Get Ready for Baking

Spoon mixture into well-greased muffin tins. Fill to about ¼ inch from the top.

Filling the muffin tin

Bake for 20 minutes. They’re ready when you stick a toothpick in and it comes out clean. Allow to cool before serving.

Finished carrot muffins.

Want to learn how the restaurants make their muffins and other recipes? Find out here…

Mix 2 1/4 cups of Bisquick mix with 1/2 cup of sugar.

Add 1/4 teaspoon of vanilla, lemon, orange, or almond extract to 1/2 cup of milk, then add the flavored milk to the Bisquick
and mix until soft dough forms.

Turn the dough out of the bowl onto a floured surface and knead about ten times.

Pat or roll out with a rolling pin into a square or rectangle shape about 1/2″ thick. Cut into squares with a sharp knife.

Place on an ungreased or parchment covered baking sheet and bake at 450 degrees Fahrenheit for 8 to 10 minutes or until
lightly golden.

If you like you can add some sugar sprinkles to the mix. You can also add fruit bits, candies, nuts, chocolate chips, etc.