FAQ

Sometimes. People mostly come in, chat a bit, and just want their muffins. But if we called this page STYMWTKA (Some Things You Might Want To Know About) it would look awkward and you’d be thinking, “Great, another new acronym that everyone knows except me.” So, we’ll stick with FAQs.

We have actually been asked this question and pondered a solution. We think we have made progress by chopping the cranberries into smaller pieces but the blueberries are not as conducive to cutting smaller. This is a universal problem as evidenced by documentation in this video clip which is quite entertaining: CASINO Blueberry Muffin Scene

We did a study and calculated by weight the average number of cranberries that a Willow Bend English muffin should have. It came out at around 7 or 8. (Now that we cut the cranberries smaller, you can’t actually count them, unless you want to pick them out and try to piece them together.) So, if you get the equivalent of 11 to 12 cranberries in your muffin, this is your lucky day. We are not statisticians but this is probably 2 or 3 standard deviations away from the norm. (Remember that bell curve from math class?) If you have the equivalent of 3 or 4 cranberries in your muffin, you might be disappointed but think about that someone out there on the other side of the bell curve and how happy they must be this morning. Good karma for you. You have made a sacrifice today for someone else. Your day will come, I assure you.

Bleached and bromated flour is treated to speed up the natural aging process that is needed for wheat to be ready for bread making, whereas unbleached, unbromated flour is aged naturally.  It was introduced for economic reasons so flour could be brought to market more quickly, avoiding the cost of storage while the grain was maturing. Although the process is generally safe if done properly, the practice is banned in the European Union, Canada, Brazil, Argentina and other countries. It remains legal and widely used in the United States. The history is quite interesting and eye opening. You can read about it here: https://www.ironmagazine.com/2009/the-little-known-secrets-about-bleached-flour/

We are not on a campaign against bleached and bromated flour but we prefer not to use it.

Yes, we gladly ship muffin orders. We are particular about freshness so only ship on Tuesdays with the orders arriving most often by Thursday, sometimes on Wednesday but infrequently on Friday if the location is remote or if there is a weather emergency. We have shipped muffins to Hawaii with just a two day delivery time.

Take a look at our “Where to Buy” page and you will see a listing of where you can purchase Willow Bend English Muffins.  We have arrangements with several of the cafes we work with such that you can order through our website and have us send your order to your favorite cafe and pick it up there.

Baking involves so much more than a list of ingredients and their quantities that it is senseless to assume that one would end up with the same result by simply mixing together the same ingredients. There are tweaks and techniques along the way that make every bread product unique. Baking is a delicious melding of art and science which employs three basic variables: ingredients, time and temperature. The enjoyable aspect of baking is working with these variables and developing one’s own signature bread; not to mention that we are constantly learning, making tweaks and adjustments to our ingredients, their ratios and our processes. So, even if we did share a recipe, it would be a moving target.  If you like bread baking we encourage you to read and experiment. An excellent place to start is with “The Bread Baker’s Apprentice” written by Peter Reinhart.  Peter is a very knowledgeable and engaging instructor who teaches at Johnson & Wales University in Rhode Island.  He also has some videos out on YouTube. 

We are growing and always like to talk with people who have an interest in artisan baking,  contributing to a positive work environment and creative atmosphere.  Please do contact us if you have an interest in joining our team.