I don’t mind buying certain generic foods, but I have to admit that I’m a brand name snob when it comes to English muffins. I really only enjoy Thomas’ because their taste and texture is the best. (This is not a paid advertisement.) They even have limited edition flavors, like banana bread. Banana bread English muffin? Yes it sounds weird but it was so delicious.
A few months ago I found this recipe, pinned it (on pinterest.com), and forgot about it. Does that happen to you? I recently came across it again and simply had to try it right away before it got lost in the flurry of other pins.
This loaf of bread has all the nooks and crannies of an English muffin inside and tastes just like one too!
English Muffin Bread Recipe
(Makes 1 loaf)
Ingredients:
- 2 tablespoons cornmeal, to sprinkle into baking pan
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon white sugar
- 1 and 1/2 teaspoons salt
- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 tablespoon instant yeast
- 1 cup milk
- 1/4 cup water
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
Directions:
- This bread uses my warm oven rising technique. Set your oven to preheat to the lowest temperature it will allow and then turn it off at around 100 degrees F. If you don’t have an oven thermometer, the perfect temperature for dough to rise in barely feels warm at all. After I heat my oven a little I typically leave it open for a while to cool down again. You do NOT want to dry out or cook the dough.
- Lightly grease a 9 x 4 loaf pan with cooking spray and then add the cornmeal. Shake the pan around and tilt it carefully in every direction until the sides and bottom all have a nice dusting. Set the pan aside.
- Put the flat beater onto the stand mixer.
- Put the flour, sugar, salt, baking soda, and instant yeast into the bowl of the mixer. Briefly stir all of the ingredients together. (Gently unless you like flour on everything you own!)
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Put the milk, water, and oil into a microwave safe bowl (or Pyrex measuring cup). Then microwave until the liquid reaches between 120 degrees F and 130 degrees F. Make sure to stir the liquid before measuring its temperature. In my microwave it took about 1 minute 30 seconds, but I did it in 30 second increments and stirred it in between.
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Pour the hot liquid into the dry ingredients in the mixing bowl. Beat slowly to integrate it into the mixture and then beat at high speed for 1 minute. The resulting dough will be soft and sticky like a thick batter.
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Scoop the dough into the prepared loaf pan and spread it out evenly. I used a spatula that I’d sprayed with nonstick cooking spray so the dough wouldn’t stick to it when I was spreading it into the pan.
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Let the dough rise in the prepared oven until it’s just barely crowned over the rim of the pan. This will take about 30 to 45 minutes. Do NOT cover the dough! There will be no drafts in the oven and the rising dough will stick to whatever you covered it with.
- Once the dough has risen to the proper height, gently remove it from the oven.
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Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
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Bake the loaf for 22 to 27 minutes, or until it’s golden brown.
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Let the bread sit in the loaf pan for about 5 minutes. Then take it out and move it to a cooling rack to cool.
Slightly adapted from: My Baking Addiction
I’m not a fan with working with yeast. Okay, I’ve never actually worked with yeast because it intimidates me. Not only did I want to try this recipe because it looked delicious, but I thought it looked like an easy introduction to working with that pesky yeast ingredient. However, my husband was eager to make this bread so I certainly wasn’t going to get in his way. It turns out I was right and it was an easy bread to make (so my husband says). It definitely looked easy from where I was sitting. 😉
This is what you are shooting for with the greased and cornmealed pan.
We had our doubts about this recipe. It seemed like there was no way that a loaf of bread could mimic individual English muffins. Are you ready to be blown away?
This bread does require some raising time, but it’s much quicker than many other breads, like Italian Bread. Also, to help shorten the time there is no second rise after punching down the dough. To avoid confusion here, DO NOT punch down the dough! It’s been busy making interesting bubbles and you don’t want to mess them up.
This is the dough right out of the mixer. See how it looks like no where near enough dough to make a loaf of bread at this point?
Oooh, look at the magic that happens in less than one hour! Yes, I’m easily amused, yet still too scared to try doing this on my own for some reason.
Ta da! From the outside it looks like a simple loaf of bread.
When you cut into this bread, you can see all the nooks and crannies! It totally looks like a convenient stack of English muffins. 🙂
My husband has made this a couple of times in just the past month and it has been a huge hit with our families. His dad ate about half of the first loaf for breakfast and my dad hid the leftovers of the second loaf so that he could keep it for himself. Note to self, make two loaves next time. I have a feeling we (and by “we” I mean, my husband) will be making this bread many, many more times since it was so popular and he aims to please.
So how does it taste? This bread is a crazy mix between a yeast bread and a quick bread and the result is an amazingly delicious English muffin.
When you toast up a slice or two, it’s crunchy on the outside and soft on the inside. Of course you must have butter, jam, or a combination of both at this morning party. It depends on my mood, but I usually prefer butter. My husband usually prefers jam. To each their own.
What’s your favorite way to eat toast for breakfast?
Here are some other fantastic recipes from Dave’s Bread Corner.
I had to check it out when I saw the title. What an interesting idea. This is one I am going to have to try.
That’s how I felt when I first saw this recipe. 🙂
This bread looks so great, Tina! Just like a huge, rectangular English muffin. Perfect! And I’m very familiar with pinning something, intending to make it, and then promptly losing it for months and months. I’m glad you found it! 🙂
What did we do before pinterest? 😉
Ok this is super cool! I never knew you could make english muffins into bread!!! Loving all those nooks and crannies!
Oh yea!!
I LOVE english muffin bread! I make it all the time since it’s so much easier than actually making english muffins : ) haha This looks delicious – and you’re reminding me that I haven’t made a loaf in a few weeks…. time to make some!
I love reminders that get me back to making an oldie but goodie!
I LOVE ENGLISH MUFFIN BREAD! I have such fond memories of being at a friend’s house when I was younger, and her mom always bought english muffin bread. I cannot wait to try my hand at this!
Lovely memories. 🙂
I make this loaf all the time – it’s the one bread I know will come out perfect every time! For a gal who is afraid of yeast – you did an outstanding job on this bread!!!
Kathi
As I’m reading the comments so far, I’m surprised to see that many of you already know about this fabulous bread. Here I thought it was a recent invention because I’d never seen it before! I wish I could take credit for baking this beauty, but last minute my husband stepped in to make it. Maybe I’ll try the next time with hubby supervision. 🙂
I love English Muffin Bread! It is so easy, and so delicious. Yours turned out beautifully! Thomas’ is definitely my favorite brand too – they are the best!
Thanks Cate! That means a lot coming from you because you are an awesome bread maker. 🙂
Oh I tried that recipe once too and it is phenomenal! It makes such wonderful toasts. And by the way, my favorite way to have toast is drizzling a bit of extra virgin olive oil, some fresh tomato puree, salt, and serrano ham. It tastes SO good <3
((But yeah I'm with you, butter is way better than jam. Especially salted butter ohmygosh)) xx
Oh my goodness that sounds fab! I want that for lunch now!!
I’m a sucker for any kind of yeast bread, and this looks amazing, Tina! English muffin bread has been on my must-make list for awhile now and seeing you nail it so perfectly makes me want to try it even more! LOVE how soft and chewy the inside looks. My idea of a perfect breakfast toast with butter and jam. 😀
I’m with you, Sarah…I’m a total sucker for any bread. Mmm, carbs. 😉
Love me some English Muffins, having a loaf of this yummy bread sounds really yummy! Looks pretty easy. I’m a bit like you with yeast, it intimidates me, seems to have only do what its supposed to do half the time. My fav kinda toast is with lashings of delicious organic butter and a local honey. Yarm!
I’ve never heard of lashings…you got me interested to check that out!
Thomas’ is the best, we always get them. What?! How did I miss this banana bread flavor? That sounds amazing! As does this homemade bread – the texture is spot on! I’m so impressed! I’ve seen that recipe on Pinterest before, too (probably pinned it too 🙂 and I need to try it!
It’s definitely a must-try! 🙂
English muffin bread – wow, love that idea! At first I couldn’t imagine it but the outside really does look all ‘muffin-like’. Home-made must be incredible straight out of the oven. 🙂
I know, right?!
Oh my god. IT looks so YUMMY.
we will try to make it tommorow. My family love bread.
Thank for sharing.
How exciting! I hope you love this bread as much as we do. 🙂