English Muffin Bread

 

My recipe this week is for a lovely loaf of English Muffin bread. I have bee playing around with this one for a while making little adjustments here and there and I am very pleased with the result. 

 

 

Since this has become my favorite bread for toasting I make it often, about every other week or so. It just makes wonderful toast and if you are in the mood for a breakfast sandwich that same toast works better than any other option I have tried.

You will need a small (8” by 4”) loaf pan for this. It makes the perfect size loaf for this recipe. We will grease this pan (I just use non-stick spray) and then sprinkle it with some cornmeal. This makes for a wonderful crunchy crust on the bottom and sides and really brings the English muffin part of the experience.

I like to do the initial mixing/beating with my hand mixer than finish up with a wooden spoon. I feel the bread turns out much better with this combination. I do knead this dough for just a couple of minutes just long enough to bring the dough together and make it smooth dough.

Then a quick rise and it will be ready for the oven. My sure-fire way to make sure any bread is cooked through is to take it's temperature with an instant read thermometer, it should be around 190°F when baked through.

Allow to cool out of the pan on a wire rack until room temperature before cutting. I like to cover my bread with a damp cloth when I set it to cool. This helps the crust become just a touch more tender.

 

Click this link for a downloadable/printable copy of today's recipe

English Muffin Bread

1 cup milk

¼ cup water

1 Tablespoon butter

3 cups all purpose flour

1 Tablespoon sugar

1 Tablespoon active dry yeast

1 teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon baking soda

cornmeal for the pan

Grease the bottom and sides of an 8” by 4” loaf pan (I use non-stick spray) then sprinkle with cornmeal. Set aside.

Combine the milk, water, and butter in a microwave save container and heat to between 120° F and 130°F.

In a large bowl combine half the flour *1 ½ cups), the sugar, yeast, salt and baking soda. Stir to combine.

Add the heated milk mixture and using a hand mixer mix for 1 minute then beat an additional minute on medium speed.

Slowly add the rest of the flour (about ½ cup at a time) mixing with a wooden spoon. This will form a very shaggy dough.

Turn this shaggy dough out onto a floured surface and knead just until it comes together and becomes smooth. This usually takes just a couple of minutes.

Place the dough into the prepared loaf pan.

 

 

 

 Cover with plastic wrap and set in a warm place away from drafts to rise for 45 to 60 minutes. You will know it is ready to bake when you can touch the bread and the indentation remains.

 

 

 

Preheat oven to 400°F and bake the bread until golden brown about 20 to 30 minutes. The bread's internal temperature should be around 190°F when taken with an instant read thermometer. 

 

 

Cool on a wire rack to room temperature before cutting. If you wrap the hot loaf with a damp cloth while it cools you will get a slightly softer crust.

Once cool brush off some of the excess cornmeal from the sides and bottom leaving most of it.

 

This bread makes wonderful toast and/or breakfast sandwiches.