In muffins, a condition characterized by large, elongated holes caused by overmixing is called what?

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Multiple Choice

In muffins, a condition characterized by large, elongated holes caused by overmixing is called what?

Tunneling happens when muffin batter is overmixed. Pushing the batter too much builds up gluten and traps more gas from the leavening agents. As the muffins bake, those gas pockets expand and coalesce into large, elongated channels that run through the crumb, producing the characteristic tunnels. This is different from cracking (top crust splitting), doming (a tall, rounded top), or drying (a dry, crumbly texture) — tunneling specifically describes those long interior holes caused by overmixing.

Tunneling happens when muffin batter is overmixed. Pushing the batter too much builds up gluten and traps more gas from the leavening agents. As the muffins bake, those gas pockets expand and coalesce into large, elongated channels that run through the crumb, producing the characteristic tunnels. This is different from cracking (top crust splitting), doming (a tall, rounded top), or drying (a dry, crumbly texture) — tunneling specifically describes those long interior holes caused by overmixing.

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