English Muffin Bread

How's that for some nooks and crannies? Those grocery store muffins got nothin' on this.


The players:

4 tsp. yeast
2 tbsp. sugar
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. baking soda
5 cups flour
1 cup warm water
1 cup warm milk

A warning: I'm a rebel. We aren't going to proof the yeast or add in a cup of flour, then a cup of liquid, then another cup of flour, and so on. Don't tell Grandma...she'd be horrified.

Sift the flour, either with a sifter or a strainer.


I've said this before, but it's worth saying again: this is why you want to sift. Biting into a lump of flour is not good eats.


Dump in all the rest of the dry ingredients. Add in the milk and water, and mix everything thoroughly.


The batter will be heavy and too sticky to knead. That's OK! Spray your loaf pans with nonstick spray and put the batter in. If you like the top of the loaf smooth, get your fingers wet and smooth out the batter.


Next, the dough has to rise for about an hour.


I set it outside with this shelf organizer over the top. A damp tea towel covers the whole thing to provide humidity and keep the bugs off.



After an hour, you can see why the shelf organizer comes in handy! If the towel had been right on top of the pans, the dough would have stuck to it and made a huge mess.


Next, they go into a 375 degree oven for 25-30 minutes. When they're dark brown, take them out and put on a wire rack to cool.


Slice, toast, and enjoy!