Easy English Muffin Bread: Toasty, Craggy, and Delicious

I’ve always wanted to master the art of baking bread and pastry. So far? Let’s just say my croissant attempt is a story for another day. But this English muffin bread? It’s almost foolproof—even for us less-than-talented pastry chefs! (Bonus: did I mention there’s no kneading involved?)

Lets cook!

• In a large bowl, add the water, yeast and sugar. Let stand until foamy (it took mine about 15 minutes)
• Mix the salt into 2 cups of the flour until well combined
• Add the yeast and water, mixing until combined
• Add the remaining flour and stir until a shaggy, sticky dough forms
• Loosely cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let the dough rise until it’s doubled in size (give yourself about an hour for this part)
• Grease two 8 1/2 x 4 1/2 inch loaf pans. Dust the bottom of each with a light coating of cornmeal (you can skip this step, but I felt it gave an authentic English muffin vibe!)
• Divide the dough between the two loaf pans (it’s a messy, sticky process)
• Loosely cover each loaf pan with plastic wrap and let the dough rise until it’s just over the rim of each pan.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees while the pans are rising
• Bake 30 minutes or so until the tops are golden brown.
• Remove the oven, remove the loaves from the pans, and cool completely on a wire rack

Resist the temptation to slice into it right away! Unfortunately, you need to let it cool completely to let those magical nooks and crannies form.

If you can’t eat them both within a few days of baking, you can freeze one of the loaves by wrapping it tightly in plastic wrap. Toast the slices up and enjoy them with your favorite toppings (we’re a family divided between butter and jam or peanut butter)!

What’s a kitchen skill you’re determined to master? Share below – maybe we can cheer each other on!

Eat well friends!