the Muffin
The tradition traces the origin of muffins to Wales in the early 11th century. However, the word "muffin" only first appeared in England in the early 18th century, and the preparation of muffins only began to become widespread during the Victorian era (1832-1901). Initially, they were a dish for the poor, made from leftover stale bread, biscuit dough, and boiled and mashed potatoes. A "new" dough was then made, fried on a large hot griddle in special rings that allowed the resulting muffins to retain their shape.
Gradually, though, these small cakes became fashionable, especially to accompany afternoon tea. Factories sprang up across the country, and street vendors, mentioned in a famous nursery rhyme of the time, roamed the streets of London, ringing a bell to sell the muffins displayed on a tray.
The recipe for muffins made its way to North America from Great Britain, probably in the second half of the 19th century. The main difference from their English "cousin" is that American muffins consistently use baking powder instead of yeast and are typically consumed hot or warm, often for breakfast but really at any time of day.
In terms of recipes, they were included in cookbooks of the time, such as Marion Harland's Common Sense in The Household: A Manual of Practical Housewifery (1872) or Fannie Merritt Farmer's Boston Cooking-School Cook Book (1896), but their production remained primarily domestic until the mid-20th century. It wasn't until the 1950s that muffins became the subject of industrial commercialization by companies looking to promote the sale of assortments in packages.
The American-style muffin craze soon spread to Australia and New Zealand, leading to the proliferation of varieties. Some have even become iconic today, such as the blueberry muffin, which has become the "official muffin" of the state of Minnesota, while Massachusetts favors cornmeal muffins, and New York prefers apple muffins.
It's worth noting that the English version of savory muffins, known as "English muffins," refers to small, round (approximately 8 cm in diameter), flat and thick bread with a very thin crust and a dense crumb. Made with yeast, they are most often enjoyed for breakfast, split in half through the middle and spread with butter or jam.
