English Muffin Bread

As I am sure you can tell, I LOVE bread!  All sorts of breads.  I have always had a special love of english muffin bread.  I am not a fan of english muffins - I don't know what it is but that little muffin does nothing for me.  Now a slice of english muffin bread, toasted, HEAVENLY!  I tried not to buy it too often for fear of eating the whole loaf in one sitting.

A few years ago I came across a recipe for english muffin bread.  Of course, being me, I had to try it out.  It was perfection in FOUR LOAVES.  Now years ago I would have just contentedly made my way through all four loaves, now-a-days I am pretty sure that would not only be EXTREMELY detrimental to my journey, but make my stomach go on strike as well.  It is for that reason that I haven't made the bread in a while.  I stumbled across the recipe again a few days ago and the craving hit.  I decided to make the four loaves and hopefully find homes for the three I shouldn't eat :-D.

English Muffin Bread

• 1 1/2 c Boiling water
• 3 1/2 c Cool Water
• 6 3/4 t Rapid Rise Yeast*
• 2 T Salt
• 3 T Sugar
• 11 c Flour - I use all purpose but I am pretty sure the original recipe called for Bread Flour.
• Butter or Margarine

1. Prepare your four loaf pans by liberally greasing them and set them aside.
2. Coming the boiling water and the cool water in your bowl.
3. Add the remaining ingredients and stir until the dough just comes together.  IT WILL BE STICKY.  
4. Divide the dough between your 4 loaf pans and set aside in a warm draft free area until the dough has risen to the top of the loaf pans.  (This takes about an hour or two.  I always cover my rising dough with a towel, but it isn't needed if there is no draft.)
5. Preheat the oven to 350 F.
6. Once the dough has risen bake it for about 35 minutes.  It should start to brown.  
7. Once the dough starts to get a golden brown color, baste the top with a little melted butter and cook until a nice golden brown color - about 10 minutes more.
8. Remove from the oven and place the pans on their sides.  (This is so that the bottom of the bread won't stick to the bottom of the pain - I do this will all my loaf breads, it isn't necessary but it does make a difference.)
9. Allow to cool completely before cutting - if you can do this you are stronger than I am!!
10. ENJOY

Sorry I have no "in process" pictures - I made the bread in between shoveling the foot deep snow out of the driveway.

This bread makes the BEST toast!  I am personally a peanut butter fan, however jelly/jam or just butter taste wonderful as well.  I like my english muffin toast to be thinner sliced so I can normally get about 15 - 20 slices out of one loaf (20 of thinner sliced and only AFTER it has completely cooled).  That is 60 - 80 slices of bread - I would say that the 11 cups of flour is about 2-3 pounds worth and the yeast is the equivalent of three packages (if you don't buy in bulk).  Yeast has been on sale lately for about $1 - $1.50/3 pack and you can get a 5 pound bag of flour on sale for $2 - $2.50.  So let's say that you would spend $4 (maximum) on this recipe, in the grocery store that would get you 4 packs of english muffins (on sale for $1 each).  That is only 24 english muffins, this bread gives you SIXTY - EIGHTY slices.

The calorie  breakdown is like this:  if you slice thin like I do and get 20 slices per loaf then you are looking at about 58-60 calories per slice.  A thicker slice (15 per loaf) would probably bring you in around 78-80 per slice and you can always go even thicker for about 100-108 - but those are really thick.  All in all a winner in my book!!

*You can use regular yeast in this recipe, you just have to add a step.  If you choose to use regular yeast instead of rapid, you have to allow the dough to rise in the mix bowl until it reaches the top and then divide into the four loaf pans.  You will then have to allow the dough to rise again in the loaf pans.  Not a horrible thing, just more time consuming.