Bakery-style chocolate chip muffins with tall, beautifully domed tops, a soft and moist crumb, and melty chocolate in every bite. A short blast of high heat at the start gives them that professional rise, and a sprinkle of coarse sugar on top adds the perfect little crunch.
Ingredients
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, spooned and levelled; 2 tsp baking powder; 1/2 tsp baking soda; 1/2 tsp fine sea salt; 1 cup buttermilk, at room temperature; 2 large eggs, at room temperature; 1/2 cup granulated sugar; 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar; 1/2 cup (8 Tbsp) unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled; 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract; 1 cup (8 oz) semi-sweet mini chocolate chips, regular chips, or chocolate chunks, with 2 Tbsp reserved for the tops; 1/2 Tbsp coarse sugar, optional, for sprinkling.
Method
Heat the oven to 425°F and line a standard 12-count muffin tin with paper liners. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. In a separate large bowl, whisk the buttermilk, eggs, granulated sugar, brown sugar, melted butter, and vanilla until well combined. Add the dry ingredients to the wet and stir just until no dry streaks of flour remain — the batter should stay lumpy, because over-mixing makes dense muffins. Gently fold in the chocolate chips, holding back 2 Tbsp for the tops. Divide the batter evenly between the liners, filling each cup right to the top (a trigger-release scoop makes this easy), then sprinkle the reserved chips and the coarse sugar, if using, over the tops. Bake at 425°F for 5 minutes, then reduce the heat to 350°F and bake for a further 15–17 minutes, until the tops are lightly golden and a toothpick pushed into the centre comes out clean. Cool the muffins in the pan for 10 minutes, then move them to a wire rack — they are wonderful eaten still warm.
Tips
The two-temperature bake is the secret to tall domed tops, so do not skip the hot start; room-temperature buttermilk and eggs mix more smoothly and help the rise; never over-mix — stir only until the flour disappears; no buttermilk? Use kefir, thinned plain yogurt, or 1 cup milk stirred with 1 Tbsp vinegar or lemon juice and left 5 minutes; store cooled muffins in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days, or freeze individually wrapped for up to 3 months and warm for 20–30 seconds in the microwave.
