english muffin bread.

This my friends is English muffin bread/toast which if you ask me is the greatest thing since well, regular toast. I didn't know such a thing existed until recently and now I can't imagine breakfast without it.

The name describes this loaf fairly accurately. When sliced and cooked it looks just like ordinary toast but after one bite it reveals it's true identity and that is toast with the flavor profile of an English muffin (without the hassle of making individual English muffins). The nooks and crannies make for an excellent vessel for hiding salted butter and jam which is my preferred way of eating it. Especially when served with a cappuccino and the Sunday New York Times.

English Muffin Bread 

Recipe from Lootie and Doof

Makes 2 Loaves

Cornmeal

5 cups (27 1/2 ounces) bread flour

4 1/2 teaspoons instant or rapid-rise yeast

1 tablespoon sugar

2 teaspoons salt (fine/table salt)

1 teaspoon baking soda

3 cups whole milk, heated to 120°F

Grease two 8½ by 4½-inch loaf pans and dust with the cornmeal. Combine the bread flour, yeast, sugar, salt, and baking soda in large bowl. Stir in the hot milk until thoroughly combined. Cover dough with greased plastic wrap (so it doesn't stick to top of dough) and let rise in warm place for 30 minutes, or until dough is bubbly and has doubled in size.

Stir dough to deflate and divide between prepared loaf pans, pushing into corners with greased rubber spatula. (Pans should be about two-thirds full.) Cover pans with greased plastic and let dough rise in warm place until it reaches edge of pans, about 30 minutes. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 375°F.

Discard plastic and transfer pans to oven. Bake until bread is well browned and registers 200°F, about 30 minutes, rotating and switching pans halfway through baking. Turn bread out onto wire rack and let cool completely, about 1 hour. Slice, toast, and serve.

Note: You can, of course, cut the recipe in half if you only want one loaf. It is worth stressing that this bread must be toasted. It is not worth eating if it is not toasted, much like an English muffin.