Ever grabbed a muffin at the airport? One of those bloated, nut-encrusted lumps of pale junk, riddled with tunnels, like a sponge? Tragic, huh? It was no accident, but it was an example of “pilot error” — the over-worked product of conveyor-belt kitchens everywhere.
In preparing pastry that rises with the assistance of chemical leaveners -- baking soda and/or baking powder -- when the wet and dry ingredients come together, the least mixing needed to get the job done is best. Which means that the very second you cannot see any unincorporated flour, stop.
Consider not using a motorized mixer at all, and instead incorporate your dry ingredients by hand with a bowl scraper or spatula. I do it every day in a commercial kitchen; it doesn’t take more than a second or two longer, and your final product will have a texture that is more tender and consistent.
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