English Muffin Bread

Overview

  • Yield: 16 servings
  • Prep Time: 15 mins
  • Cook Time: 15 mins
  • Rising Time: 45 mins
  • Total Time: 1 hr 15 mins

Equipment

  • Glass bread pans

Ingredients

  • 5 1/2 cups flour, you may need less or a little more

  • 2 tablespoons yeast

  • 1 tablespoon honey

  • 1/4 cup warm water

  • 2 teaspoons kosher salt

  • 1/4 teaspoon baking powder

  • 2 1/4 cups warm milk

  • Butter and cornmeal for greasing and dusting the pans

Method

  1. Mix the yeast, honey, and water. Set aside.
  1. Stir the salt, baking powder, and flour together.
  1. Add the milk and one cup of the flour to the yeast mixture.
  1. Blend well.
  1. Add the remaining flour, or enough to give you a soft goopy dough and beat.
  1. You should have a very soft, goopy dough. Yes. I said goopy.
  1. Spoon the dough into 2 loaf pans that have been greased and dusted with the cornmeal.
  1. Set aside in a warm place until the batter has doubled and is at the top of the pans, or a little above. This may take 30 to 45 minutes.
  1. Preheat the oven to 425F
  1. Dust the tops of the loaves with cornmeal and bake for 15 minutes or so. Loaf will sound hollow when tapped.
  1. Bake for 20-25 minutes if you want a crisper, more golden crust.
  1. Cool and slice.

Notes

  • You can make two large loaves of English muffin bread with this recipe or you can double it and make four. I’d double it if I were you — it tends to disappear quickly and you can freeze it if you need to.

  • Use coarsely ground cornmeal to dust the pans. It will give you that flavor and slight texture that the conventional English muffins have. If you don’t have any cornmeal you can just dust the pan with flour instead. Not a big deal but not as good either.

  • Just use all-purpose flour in this recipe. No need for bread flour.

  • The batter should be very loose and gloopy. If you add too much flour you won’t have those lovely nooks and crannies.

  • Don’t cave to the temptation to slice it and eat it hot. Cool at least part way and then be sure to slice and toast it. It will be better that way.

  • You can make this with whole wheat flour, half whole wheat and half white.

  • Feel free to add raisins, dried cranberries, dates, etc. About 1/2 cup is right.

References and Acknowledgments

English Muffin Bread