Appreciation post: I found out most home bakers overmix their cookie dough by a huge amount

I was reading a really old baking textbook from the 1970s I got at a library sale. It said that for a basic chocolate chip cookie, you should only mix the dry and wet ingredients together for a maximum of 45 seconds after the flour is added! I had been mixing for at least two minutes, thinking I needed it totally smooth. I tried the 45-second rule on my next batch, and the texture was so much better, less tough and more tender. Has anyone else found a super specific mixing time that made a big difference for them?

3 comments

3 Comments

aaronlee3mo ago

My grandma always said you mix muffin batter until it just looks ugly.

rivera.simon3mo ago

Wait, is that the secret to good muffins? My mom always drilled into me to barely mix it, just until the flour is gone, or you get tough muffins. But maybe that's why hers are a bit dense sometimes. Your grandma's ugly batter idea might be the perfect middle ground, you know? It makes sense because you want some lumps to keep them tender. I'm gonna try that next time I bake.

rayc8919d ago

That's a good rule of thumb, but I'd gently push back a little. The ugly batter idea works, but you still need to be careful not to overmix once the flour is incorporated. The real key is just barely mixing until the dry ingredients are wet, then stopping. You want those lumps and that rough look, but the second you see streaks of flour gone, put the spoon down. Overmixing even a tiny bit more is what triggers the gluten and makes them tough. So your grandma is right about the look, but the stopping point is even more important than the appearance.