Tweaking a bran muffin recipe?

2 years ago

I’m pursuing a great bran muffin recipe, that I can make all winter long.

I posted a few weeks ago asking for suggestions, then copied all the ones that sounded good on other threads.

I made one of the bran cereal ones first. Cook’s Illustrated recipe. It was good, but it took a long time to make, and used the mixer too.

Next I looked for one that used actual bran, AND was simpler to prepare. I made the following one: which is ALSO good. Neither recipe is great.

I’m thinking how to tweak this one, to make it better: but I’m no food scientist. If I change one thing, I don’t know what else might need changing.

For example: I like the flavor of molasses in bran muffins: but if I add molasses, do I reduce both liquids and sugar?

Also: this calls for white flour: could I sub all whole wheat? Half whole wheat?

What would it be like with yogurt instead of buttermilk? My banana bread recipe uses yogurt.

What about adding wheat germ?

Thanks!

Classic Bran Muffins

Prep Time: 15 mins Cook Time: 15 mins Total Time: 30 mins

Ingredients

1 ½ cups wheat bran
1 cup buttermilk
⅔ cup brown sugar
⅓ cup vegetable oil
1 egg
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
½ cup raisins

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Grease 12 muffin cups or line with paper muffin liners.

2. Mix wheat bran and buttermilk together in a large bowl; let stand for 10 minutes.

3. Meanwhile, beat brown sugar, oil, egg, and vanilla together in a separate bowl until light and fluffy; stir into buttermilk mixture.

4. Sift flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt together; stir into buttermilk mixture until just blended. Fold in raisins; spoon batter into the prepared muffin cups, filling each 2/3 full.

5. Bake in the preheated oven until tops spring back when lightly pressed, about 15 to 20 minutes. Cool in the tin briefly, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Featured Answer

aziline

2 years ago

That's a lot of subbing! Here's a few things I know about baking.

If you use molasses you may not need baking powder since molasses is acidic enough to cause a reaction.

King Arthur says you can sub yogurt for buttermilk. Just thin the yogurt to a consistency of heavy cream and then it's a 1:1 swap.

Buttermilk lasts forever in the fridge. I'll have an opened 1/2 gallon months out of date and bake with it. I just need to shake it up. I mention this in case you want to use yogurt because you might not use it before it goes bad.

Wheat bran cuts the gluten strands like crazy. You could make them with whole wheat flour but your result will be even denser.

As far as adding Wheat Germ I see lots of differing opinions as to how much. So I'll go with "add to taste". One site said that germ and bran can be used interchangeably so you may want to decrease the bran if you use tons of germ.

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Comments (6)

morz8 - Washington Coast
2 years ago
Had you seen this one from Ambitious Kitchen? It seems to check many of the marks you wanted:

wheat bran, whole wheat pastry flour, molasses, applesauce, and any unsweetened milk of your choice.

I haven't made them so can't give you a review from experience but the ingredients, ease of prep sound quite good.
linnea56 (zone 5b Chicago) thanked morz8 - Washington Coast
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aliceinmd
2 years ago
While linnea56 seems to be looking for a more elaborate recipe, this is my favorite bran muffin. It's the one that Kellogg's used to have on the All-Bran box; they changed the recipe a few years ago to one I don't like as much. Be sure to grease (or spray with Pam) muffin cups; paper liners don’t work well with oily muffins.

Our Best Bran Muffins from a Kellogg’s All-Bran package in the 1980s

1-1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup sugar (I've always used just white granulated sugar)
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 Tablespoon baking powder

1-1/2 cups Kellogg’s All-Bran cereal
1-1/4 cups milk

1 egg
1/4 cup vegetable oil

Stir together flour, sugar, salt, and baking powder; set aside.

In large mixing bowl, combine Kellogg’s All-Bran cereal and milk. Let stand about 3 minutes or until cereal softens.

Add egg and oil, mix well.

Add flour mixture, stirring only until combined.

Portion batter evenly into 12 lightly greased 2-1/2 inch muffin-pan cups.

Bake in 400 degree oven about 20 minutes or until golden brown. Serve warm.
linnea56 (zone 5b Chicago) thanked aliceinmd
lizbeth-gardener
2 years ago
last modified: 2 years ago
You might look at Bob's Red Mill's recipe for Moist Molasses bran muffins.
linnea56 (zone 5b Chicago) thanked lizbeth-gardener
linnea56 (zone 5b Chicago)
Original Author
2 years ago
aziline , I didn't mean subbing all of those! Just "what would it do" if I made this change, or that change, etc. And see, you mentioned molasses being acidic: I didn't know that!

Morz8: that looks like a fantastic recipe!

Lizbeth: that also looks like a great recipe! I'll try both!

AliceinMD, I made a similar cereal based recipe last week. I'm trying many recipes until I find the perfect one. Thanks!
Eileen
2 years ago
last modified: 2 years ago
I've been making the one on the King Arthur website for a few years. I didn't like bran muffins until I tried those. It's the recipe where you can keep the batter in the fridge for a week.

Yesterday I went to their website and I noticed they changed the recipe a little. One change is they use part brown sugar now. I baked a few this morning and they were as good as the old recipe but perhaps a little moister.

I have found that store brands of brown sugar, such as Kroger, are different than C&H. It is definitely molasses mixed with regular sugar and is more moist. It made my cinnamon rolls ooze all the filling out so I don't use it for them. But you might give it a try for the muffins.

I also add the zest from an orange and cinnamon to my bran muffins.

https://www.kingarthurbaking.com/recipes/bran-muffins-recipe
linnea56 (zone 5b Chicago) thanked Eileen

Tweaking a bran muffin recipe?

aziline

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morz8 - Washington Coast

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Tweaking a bran muffin recipe?

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