What is the most important difference between the biscuit method and the muffin method?

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The most important difference is how fat is incorporated into the dough or batter. In the biscuit method, you cut in cold fat into the dry ingredients until the fat pieces are the size of small peas. Those solid fat pockets melt during baking, creating steam that lifts and separates the layers, producing a flaky texture. The liquid ingredients are added separately and stirred just enough to bring the dough together, preserving those fat pockets.

In the muffin method, fat is melted or mixed with the wet ingredients and then combined with the dry ingredients just until everything is moistened. This yields a looser batter with a tender, cake-like crumb and little to no distinct flaky layers.

Oven temperature, leavening agents, and flour type can influence texture in baking, but they don’t define the fundamental difference between these two methods.