English Muffin Bread
English Muffin Bread is full of nooks and crannies just like an English muffin but in a loaf form. It’s dense, chewy and makes the best French toast.
This was one of Kim’s first recipes to hit the blog, way back in June of 2016. Kim and I feel it needs to be updated. New pictures and post instructions along with structural changes to the content.
Fortunately, the English muffin bread recipe didn’t need to be changed. It’s as good today as it was 3 years ago.
The bread is dense, chewy, and as the name implies, similar to an English muffin. It can be eaten as is with butter or repurposed into French toast, bread pudding, or breakfast casseroles.
Not only is it delicious, the day old bread can be used in so many ways. Making it a tasty and frugal offering. Now, onward to the instructions!
English Muffin Bread Instructions:
Getting started begins with activating the yeast. First, combine the milk, olive oil, and water in small heat safe (or microwave safe) bowl.
Heat the mixture to around 110°F. Any hotter and it will kill your yeast.
Once the liquid is warm, mix in the sugar and yeast. Set the bowl aside to allow the yeast to activate.
While it activates, go ahead and prep your nine by five 9×5 inch loaf pan with the butter and cornmeal.
After the wet ingredients have become foamy and frothy, it’s time to make the dough. For the next few steps, we used a stand mixer.
If you don’t have one, you’ll have to use a hand mixer and knead the bread by hand. In a large mixing bowl combine the baking soda, flour, and salt.
Use a fork or whisk to blend the dry ingredients. Now, pour in the yeast mixture.
Attach your dough hook and mix the dry and wet ingredients together on low speed for about a minute.
Afterward, increase the speed to medium to knead the bread for an additional three (3) to four (4) minutes.
English Muffin Bread Instructions Continued:
With the 4 minutes of kneading are done, you can now transfer the dough to your loaf pan. Use a spatula to move the sticky dough.
Furthermore, you’ll need to cover it with a towel and let it rise for about an hour. The dough should rise to about half an inch above the lip of the pan.
About 15 minutes before the dough finishes rising, preheat your oven to 450°F.
Then place the fully risen dough into the oven to bake for approximately 25 minutes or until the top is golden brown. Check out the picture above as a reference.
Now that your bread has baked, let it sit in the pan for about 7 minutes before transferring it to a cooling rack. Try to let it cool completely, 30 minutes or so, before you slice it.
That’s it, your English muffin bread is done. Kim and I hope you enjoy the dish and wish you all the best!
English Muffin Bread Tips:
- Start with a lesser amount of flour (3 cups) and add additional flour if needed. Climates with more humidity may require an additional 1/2 cup. However, only add the extra flour a tablespoon at a time to avoid adding too much of the ingredient.
- Want to keep your rubber spatula from sticking? Try spraying it with non-stick cooking spray. This tip can be used anytime you’re working with thick, sticky, ingredients (honey, peanut butter, etc.).
- When working with yeast, here’s 2 tips to follow. If the water burns your skin, then it will kill the yeast. Also, make sure to check the expiration date on your yeast. Most people don’t use it very often, so it sits in the cabinet for months at a time. Make sure it’s still good before you get started!
Other bread recipes you may love:
Ingredients
- 1 cup milk
- ¼ cup water
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 tablespoon yeast, We used active dry yeast.
- 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon cornmeal, for the pan
- 1 teaspoon unsalted butter, for the pan
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 ½ teaspoons salt
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
Instructions
- Heat milk, water, and olive oil in a microwave-safe container to 110 to 115 degrees F. Add the yeast and sugar. Mix to combine and set aside.1 cup milk¼ cup water2 tablespoons olive oil1 tablespoon yeast1 teaspoon granulated sugar
- Allow yeast to activate and become foamy.
- Prepare a 9 x 5-inch loaf pan with a thin coat of butter. Sprinkle a light layer of cornmeal on the sides and bottom of the pan and set aside.1 teaspoon unsalted butter1 teaspoon cornmeal
- Add the flour, salt, and baking soda to the bowl of a stand mixer.3 cups all-purpose flour1 ½ teaspoons salt¼ teaspoon baking soda
- Add the activated yeast mixture to the dry ingredients.
- Using the dough hook attachment, mix the ingredients on low speed for 1 minute and increase to medium speed for an additional 3 to 4 minutes.
- The dough should be smooth, slightly sticky, and soft.
- Carefully remove the dough and place in the prepared pan and use a silicone spatula to smooth until level. Cover with a clean kitchen towel.
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
- Allow dough to rise until it comes just above the edge of the pan, about 1/2 inch. The dough takes about an hour to rise.
- Place the pan in the preheated oven and cook for 20 to 25 minutes until bread is golden brown.
- Remove the pan from the oven and allow bread to cool in the pan for 5 to 7 minutes.
- Transfer bread from the pan to a cooling rack and allow to cool completely before slicing.