Muffins didn't bake as intended...

[Kevin Duncan]

I got a Bob's Red Mill gluten-free bake mix, followed the recipe to the letter (added eggs etc), but the end result was - the muffins developed a crispy crust, which isn't right, and the inside was not very cooked (though it wasn't raw either). The reason I felt the inside wasn't very cooked is because it wasn't very "cakey", didn't have that sponginess that I had expected...

I am new to baking, so no idea what happened here...any comments would be appreciated

 

[ChesterV]

Have you ever used this before?

I've never used gluten-free anything, but I have heard that it doesn't "act" like normal batters/doughs do. I do not expect that this mix is going to be cakey, as the active "cakey" ingredients have been removed.

Muffins DO get a crust on them, as the muffin tops dry out a bit while baking. But after sitting for a while after cooling, the tops will usually get soft again and not stay crunchy or crusty. If you want soft tops, just put your baked muffins in a plastic container with the lid on it for a few hours after they have cooled off. The tops should revert back to soft.

Personally, I like a crunchy top and always try to have a muffin as soon as they have cooled enough.
Mmmmmm, crunchy muffin tops. LOL

 

[Kevin Duncan]

The crunchy top didnt go away after sitting for hours...also, the inside is still too soft and "mushy". The inside hasn't taken "shape" and "form" as I would have expected.

One thing came to my mind - I put the baking tray on the level closest to the bottom heating filament in the oven. So I am wondering if that's why the outside became such a crust and the inside didn't cook or solidify properly. Perhaps it happened because of heat source being too close to the muffins?

 

[Becky]

Gluten free baking takes a lot of getting used to unfortunately Often it's the recipe that's to blame, so I'd maybe try a different one. What kind of muffins are you making?

 

[MyInspiredCreation]

A great brand that I recommend for gluten free baking, which works great, is "Cup 4 Cup". I've used it a few times and have been impressed, that I forget the end product is gluten free! You can buy it I think at your local Target or online off amazon or some other online site. Might be able to find it at your local Walmart as well. good luck!

 

[ChesterV]

The crunchy top didnt go away after sitting for hours...also, the inside is still too soft and "mushy". The inside hasn't taken "shape" and "form" as I would have expected.

One thing came to my mind - I put the baking tray on the level closest to the bottom heating filament in the oven. So I am wondering if that's why the outside became such a crust and the inside didn't cook or solidify properly. Perhaps it happened because of heat source being too close to the muffins?

Yes, it could be that they were too close to the bottom element. The outside baked faster due to being to close to the heating element. I would have them in the center of the oven.

What I used to do, because I never had a convection oven, was to put a large pizza pan or large flat cookie sheet on the bottom rack to diffuse a lot of the direct heat away from the bottom of the pan above it. This worked pretty well for me.

 

[Norcalbaker59]

I got a Bob's Red Mill gluten-free bake mix, followed the recipe to the letter (added eggs etc), but the end result was - the muffins developed a crispy crust, which isn't right, and the inside was not very cooked (though it wasn't raw either). The reason I felt the inside wasn't very cooked is because it wasn't very "cakey", didn't have that sponginess that I had expected...

I am new to baking, so no idea what happened here...any comments would be appreciated

I bake a lot of gluten free since I can't eat gluten. There's no such thing as all purpose GF baking mix. I rarely use them. I make my flour blends for each application. Try Pamela's or King Arthur GF blends. I've had better luck with the than Bob's Red Mill GF blend.