Crumbly Muffins

[GlutenGalAZ]

This is from the Incredible Edible Gluten-Free Food for Kids Cookbook by: Sheri L. Sanderson

I have tried this recipe a couple of times:

1st Time I subbed the Tapioca with ALL Cornstarch (crumbly and tasted/smelled like cornbread)

2nd Time I subbed the Rice Flour with Sweet White Sorghum Flour and Subbed Tapioca with Arrowroot (had to toss not only very very crumbly but I think I have a problem with Arrowroot).

3rd Time was last weekend I subbed the Tapioca half and half Cornstarch / Potato Starch. (turned out better but still somewhat crumbly -- But not as bad as other times). I added in a little Flaxseed.

Recipe: Breakfast Muffins (pg 89)

1 Cup Rice Flour

3/4 Cup Tapioca Flour

1/3 Cup Sugar

1 Tablespoon Baking Powder

1/4 Teaspoon Salt

1/2 Cup Milk

1/4 Cup Oil

1 Egg

Cook 400 degrees 20 minutes (I do couple minutes less or else they get burnt -- think b/c higher altitude).

It is a neat recipe b/c they give you alternatives to make it into Banana Nut, Blueberry etc. I normally do Chocolate Chip or Choc Chip with Walnuts. It is very quick and easy so would love to figure out how to fix the crumbling

The only thing I noticed that it is missing is the Xantham Gum.... Do you think that is what it is?

I thought about adding in a teaspoon of it to see (thought about this after I made them ha last weekend).

Thanks for any input!!!

[jerseyangel]

Yep--I would say it definately needs xanthan gum. I'd try adding a teaspoonful. I'd also use 1/2 cornstarch and 1/2 potato starch in place of the tapioca starch (I'm tapioca intolerant, too).

It's odd that it isn't in the recipe.....

[GlutenGalAZ]

Thank you so much for the reply. I was surprised to not see it in the recipe as well, I thought all bread type recipes had it. I thought I was somehow over looking the Xantham Gum so I even had my husband look at the recipe to just make sure (kind of silly) that I wasn't looking over it ha!

I will try the 1 teaspoon with this and the half and half with the corn/potato starch.

Thanks again

[JNBunnie1]

Thank you so much for the reply. I was surprised to not see it in the recipe as well, I thought all bread type recipes had it. I thought I was somehow over looking the Xantham Gum so I even had my husband look at the recipe to just make sure (kind of silly) that I wasn't looking over it ha!

I will try the 1 teaspoon with this and the half and half with the corn/potato starch.

Thanks again

Actually, tapioca starch is a very effective binder, more so than all the other starches. You may want to use 1/2 corn starch and 1/2 sweet rice flour instead of potato starch. I would do that, and use 1 cup sorghum instead of rice flour. So this recipe probably would've held together well enough without xanthan if it had the tapioca, a few recipes are like that. Most it doesn't matter, aren't you lucky to find this one?

That and all muffins hold together better if cut in half and grilled in butter... mmmm.....

[GlutenGalAZ]

Actually, tapioca starch is a very effective binder, more so than all the other starches. You may want to use 1/2 corn starch and 1/2 sweet rice flour instead of potato starch. I would do that, and use 1 cup sorghum instead of rice flour. So this recipe probably would've held together well enough without xanthan if it had the tapioca, a few recipes are like that. Most it doesn't matter, aren't you lucky to find this one?

That and all muffins hold together better if cut in half and grilled in butter... mmmm.....

Thank you for the reply. I am going to put a post it note in the cookbook of the different ways mentioned and try them out. I am still new with trying different ways then what is mentioned in the recipe so this is still new to me

Thanks

[bakingbarb]

The first time I baked anything gluten free it was cornbread and no xanthan gum, it wasn't crumbly but instead puffed up while baking and went over the edges of the pan. LOL I went looking for what was in other recipes that was missing in mine. Xanthan gum. I know some bake successfully with out it but I am not one of them.

I would suggest when you try something with a recipe only make one change at a time. That way you know which change had which affect.

This is from the Incredible Edible Gluten-Free Food for Kids Cookbook by: Sheri L. Sanderson

I have tried this recipe a couple of times:

1st Time I subbed the Tapioca with ALL Cornstarch (crumbly and tasted/smelled like cornbread)

2nd Time I subbed the Rice Flour with Sweet White Sorghum Flour and Subbed Tapioca with Arrowroot (had to toss not only very very crumbly but I think I have a problem with Arrowroot).

3rd Time was last weekend I subbed the Tapioca half and half Cornstarch / Potato Starch. (turned out better but still somewhat crumbly -- But not as bad as other times). I added in a little Flaxseed.

Recipe: Breakfast Muffins (pg 89)

1 Cup Rice Flour

3/4 Cup Tapioca Flour

1/3 Cup Sugar

1 Tablespoon Baking Powder

1/4 Teaspoon Salt

1/2 Cup Milk

1/4 Cup Oil

1 Egg

Cook 400 degrees 20 minutes (I do couple minutes less or else they get burnt -- think b/c higher altitude).

It is a neat recipe b/c they give you alternatives to make it into Banana Nut, Blueberry etc. I normally do Chocolate Chip or Choc Chip with Walnuts. It is very quick and easy so would love to figure out how to fix the crumbling

The only thing I noticed that it is missing is the Xantham Gum.... Do you think that is what it is?

I thought about adding in a teaspoon of it to see (thought about this after I made them ha last weekend).

Thanks for any input!!!

[ang1e0251]

My baking has really improved, measured by the crumbly factor, since I added Guar or Xantham to any mix. They always taste good but now I can eat them with my hands instead of a spoon!

[CarolX]

2 tricks I have learned over the years making breads, muffins, etc.

Double the eggs and the baking powder.

Eggs are a great binder and the extra baking powder gives more lift. I rarely need to add Xanthan Gum.

[GlutenGalAZ]

2 tricks I have learned over the years making breads, muffins, etc.

Double the eggs and the baking powder.

Eggs are a great binder and the extra baking powder gives more lift. I rarely need to add Xanthan Gum.

Thanks for the great information

I am still learning right now, so I have pretty much been sticking with what recipes say at the moment till I feel/understand to go outside of the box (recipe)... I am always so amazed when different people on here make up their own recipes and change things etc.

I made the muffins this weekend and added 1 tsp of Xanthan Gum and then for the Tapioca (can't have) did 1/2 1/2 of the corn/potato starch. The Xanthan Gum seemed to help alot.

I appreciate all the great information everyone has given, it helps in my learning stage of baking/cooking!!

[glutenada]

2 tricks I have learned over the years making breads, muffins, etc.

Double the eggs and the baking powder.

Eggs are a great binder and the extra baking powder gives more lift. I rarely need to add Xanthan Gum.

That's about exactly what I was going to post.

I always include an extra egg. Haven't tried doubling BP yet.

That extra egg works magic on most every recipe!

[GlutenGalAZ]

Is there a rule of thumb with adding an extra egg? Like if the recipe calls for ____ amount of flour then it is okay to add another egg or just trial and error???

Thanks

[CarolX]

Is there a rule of thumb with adding an extra egg? Like if the recipe calls for ____ amount of flour then it is okay to add another egg or just trial and error???

Thanks

Sometimes it is just trial and error - but most of the time, if the recipie calls for 1 egg, I add 2. I usually don't adjust the dry ingredients, because I find the gluten-free flour requires extra liquid anyway.

[GlutenGalAZ]

Sometimes it is just trial and error - but most of the time, if the recipie calls for 1 egg, I add 2. I usually don't adjust the dry ingredients, because I find the gluten-free flour requires extra liquid anyway.

Thank you for the reply. Any info on cooking really helps as I am still learning

[Wonka]

This is from the Incredible Edible Gluten-Free Food for Kids Cookbook by: Sheri L. Sanderson

I have tried this recipe a couple of times:

1st Time I subbed the Tapioca with ALL Cornstarch (crumbly and tasted/smelled like cornbread)

2nd Time I subbed the Rice Flour with Sweet White Sorghum Flour and Subbed Tapioca with Arrowroot (had to toss not only very very crumbly but I think I have a problem with Arrowroot).

3rd Time was last weekend I subbed the Tapioca half and half Cornstarch / Potato Starch. (turned out better but still somewhat crumbly -- But not as bad as other times). I added in a little Flaxseed.

Recipe: Breakfast Muffins (pg 89)

1 Cup Rice Flour

3/4 Cup Tapioca Flour

1/3 Cup Sugar

1 Tablespoon Baking Powder

1/4 Teaspoon Salt

1/2 Cup Milk

1/4 Cup Oil

1 Egg

Cook 400 degrees 20 minutes (I do couple minutes less or else they get burnt -- think b/c higher altitude).

It is a neat recipe b/c they give you alternatives to make it into Banana Nut, Blueberry etc. I normally do Chocolate Chip or Choc Chip with Walnuts. It is very quick and easy so would love to figure out how to fix the crumbling

The only thing I noticed that it is missing is the Xantham Gum.... Do you think that is what it is?

I thought about adding in a teaspoon of it to see (thought about this after I made them ha last weekend).

Thanks for any input!!!

I have some thoughts. You do need to add xanthan gum, around 1/2 tsp. The recipe looks off balance to me. Flours can make a baked product very dry if not balanced with the correct amount of fat and sugar. I would increase the sugar to 1/2 cup, the oil amount seems about right. I also think that there is way too much baking powder in this recipe. One teaspoon of baking powder is enough to leaven 4 cups of flour. This recipe calls for 1 Tbsp baking powder which would overleaven the muffins and make them very dense. Cut back the baking powder, our flours require more than gluten flour but 1 Tbsp is still too much. I would go with 1 to 2 tsp at the most.

[RiceGuy]

I have some thoughts. You do need to add xanthan gum, around 1/2 tsp. The recipe looks off balance to me. Flours can make a baked product very dry if not balanced with the correct amount of fat and sugar. I would increase the sugar to 1/2 cup, the oil amount seems about right. I also think that there is way too much baking powder in this recipe. One teaspoon of baking powder is enough to leaven 4 cups of flour. This recipe calls for 1 Tbsp baking powder which would overleaven the muffins and make them very dense. Cut back the baking powder, our flours require more than gluten flour but 1 Tbsp is still too much. I would go with 1 to 2 tsp at the most.

Although it may look like too much baking powder, it may not be as overboard as it might seem. However, even with wheat dough, every recipe I've ever seen generally hovers around 1 tsp per cup of flour. So one tsp just ain't gonna leaven 4 cups of flour, at least not on this side of the galaxy. One factor is the type of baking powder. They are most definitely NOT all the same. Especially with gluten-free flours. I had a terrible time getting things to rise with Rumford, as it starts to fizz right in the mixing bowl, and there's simply no way for the dough to hold all the bubbles so early, and while it is still being mixed. I posted a detailed explanation on this some time back, but long story short, I haven't had any problems with Bob's Red Mill baking powder. I generally use a little more than 1 tsp per cup of flour, sometimes 2 tsp per cup.

Since I don't use sugar, I can only speculate on how its bulk may effect this, and if baking powder should be adjusted for it. Although I'd guess sugar will probably have some binding effect.

So, given that there is at least two cups of dry ingredients (if you count the sugar), then 1 tbsp (which is 3 tsp) is about what I'd expect. It amounts to around 1-1/2 tsp per cup.

The softer the dough, the more effectively it can rise, but the more moist and cake-like it will turn out. Too much liquid, and it may not cook all the way through. So the amount of liquid is a very important factor. The recipe doesn't appear to have enough liquid IMHO, though I also don't bake with eggs or cow's milk. I find that the batter should gracefully slump off the spoon if you pick up a big blob, then tip the spoon. But it does depend on how soft the results are expected to be, the types of flours involved, and even the type of pan you bake it in.

Lastly, guar gum tends to hold moisture a bit better, and provides a somewhat better cake-like texture, whereas xanthan is better at giving a bread-like texture. Sometimes I'll use some of each, but it generally equates to around 1 tsp per cup of flour. I have seen cake recipes suggest less than 1 tsp xanthan per cup of flour, while pizza recipes may call for a bit more.

On my package of xanthan, it says:

Cakes/Cookies: 1/2 to 1 tsp

Breads/Pizza: 1 to 2 tsp

All brands of baking powder I've seen suggest around 1 tsp per cup of flour.

[Wonka]

We'll have to agree to disagree. Food science, a special interest I have, and my personal experience is that with too much leavening you get heavy dense products. I would never add 1 tsp per cup of flour (and I do bake alot).

I suggested increasing the sugar, as sugar is hydroscopic (water loving) and balancing the flour and sugar ratio results in a less crumbly texture. This can also be accomplished with increased fat, either oil, butter or increasing the eggs as well (it's the yolks that are helping here, egg whites cause drying). I would actually just add an extra egg yolk rather than a whole egg (I do understand that people don't want the extra sugar in their diet but it does play a roll in the science of baking,so increasing the fat content a bit might be the way to go).

[bakingbarb]

I don't really know enough about baking powder and baking soda but I do know that the least amount you can use the better it is, it can affect flavor in an adverse manner.

Sugar is hygroscopic yup yup and I don't know about you but oil seems to make for a moister cake/muffin etc.

Oh, my problem with this recipe is the "flours" that it uses. I think rice flour turns out some of the worst gluten free baked goods in taste, texture and rise. Also the flour blends use a bit more in the starches, it just seems a blend would probably make a better muffin in the first place.

It seems gluten free always uses more baking powder then its wheat recipe would have. I don't think this is necessary either.

We'll have to agree to disagree. Food science, a special interest I have, and my personal experience is that with too much leavening you get heavy dense products. I would never add 1 tsp per cup of flour (and I do bake alot).

I suggested increasing the sugar, as sugar is hydroscopic (water loving) and balancing the flour and sugar ratio results in a less crumbly texture. This can also be accomplished with increased fat, either oil, butter or increasing the eggs as well (it's the yolks that are helping here, egg whites cause drying). I would actually just add an extra egg yolk rather than a whole egg (I do understand that people don't want the extra sugar in their diet but it does play a roll in the science of baking,so increasing the fat content a bit might be the way to go).

[purple]

I would increase the sugar, use less baking powder, add the xanthan gum, and add sour cream but if you don't want to increase the sugar...then skip the sour cream and use some applesauce. Sound confusing?!

You need some sticky moisture.

You might also switch the rice flour to sorghum too.

One egg should be enough, all my muffin recipes call for only one.

Batter should be moist.

[RiceGuy]

Well, here's a bunch of gluten-free muffin recipes:

https://www.celiac.com/categories/Gluten%25...Muffin-Recipes/

If you look through those, even though none may match what you're doing exactly, you should see some trends in the amounts of the different ingredients.

If anyone gets denser results from additional baking powder (which seems counter-intuitive), perhaps it's due to the formulation. One thing I have found, is that as the typical baking powder does its thing in the mixing bowl, much of the bubbles escape. And the more BP you put, the more it pushes apart the dough. So instead of getting more leavening, you may actually get less, if there was enough bubbles to over-inflate the dough to the point where it couldn't hold together much at all. Like an over-inflated balloon, the bubbles basically pop, and the whole thing deflates. So by the time it gets into the oven, all the fizz is lost, hence little to no rise. But with the right kind of baking powder, the leavening occurs in the oven, where it can work undisturbed. Here is my post on the subject, which details most of what I learned about baking powder.

[JNBunnie1]

Well, here's a bunch of gluten-free muffin recipes:

https://www.celiac.com/categories/Gluten%25...Muffin-Recipes/

If you look through those, even though none may match what you're doing exactly, you should see some trends in the amounts of the different ingredients.

If anyone gets denser results from additional baking powder (which seems counter-intuitive), perhaps it's due to the formulation. One thing I have found, is that as the typical baking powder does its thing in the mixing bowl, much of the bubbles escape. And the more BP you put, the more it pushes apart the dough. So instead of getting more leavening, you may actually get less, if there was enough bubbles to over-inflate the dough to the point where it couldn't hold together much at all. Like an over-inflated balloon, the bubbles basically pop, and the whole thing deflates. So by the time it gets into the oven, all the fizz is lost, hence little to no rise. But with the right kind of baking powder, the leavening occurs in the oven, where it can work undisturbed. Here is my post on the subject, which details most of what I learned about baking powder.

Dude, you rock.