A toast for the New Year
You know how you always remember the first time you experienced something? First time behind the wheel of a car, first leap off a diving board, that first sweet kiss…
This bread was the very first experience I ever had with yeast. And it opened up a world of interesting possibilities, many of which I’ve explored over the past 30 years. From salt-rising bread to baguettes to sandwich rye, I’ve taken many journeys in the company of yeast.
Yet I keep coming back to this first simple loaf.
Perhaps it’s the comfort-food factor: this bread makes the best toast ever. Its craggy holes capture melting butter, while its texture offers a toasted slice with soft interior, and crisp-crunchy exterior. Add cinnamon-sugar or jam, and enjoy a nirvana-like toast experience.
Or maybe it’s the ease of preparation. No kneading. No shaping. Just mix, plop in the pan, rise, and bake. 90 minutes after the tantalizing thought of toast first crossed your mind, you can be pulling fresh, hot bread out of the oven.
Now that the holidays are (mostly) over, it’s time to slow down and relax. Allow yourself an hour to nestle into a comfortable chair with a good book. And a cup of tea. And—of course—a slice or two of freshly buttered toast.
Ahhhhh… yes.
This bread is simple, but you do need to perform each step correctly. First, heat the milk, water, and vegetable oil to between 120°F and 130°F. This will feel very hot on your skin. Just as a basis for comparison, the hottest tap water from your faucet will be around 120°F (unless you have ridiculously, dangerously hot tap water).
Whisk together the flour, yeast, sugar, salt, and baking soda. Pour the hot liquid on top, and mix, using the flat beater of your stand mixer.
Mix till thoroughly combined, then mix at high speed for 1 minute. The dough won’t be liquid enough to pour, but it won’t be stiff enough to knead, either.
Grease an 8 1/2” x 4 1/2” loaf pan, and sprinkle with cornmeal. This makes the crust very lightly crunchy, perfect for either toast or sandwiches.
Scoop the soft dough into the pan, leveling it as much as possible. Cover the bread, and let it rise for about an hour.
It should just be crowned over the rim of the pan—if you’re using an 8 1/2” x 4 1/2” loaf pan. If you use a 9” x 5” loaf pan, which has 30% more capacity, obviously it won’t crown over the rim. Neither will the loaf be shaped as nicely.
Bake the bread in a preheated 400°F oven for about 22 minutes. Really, just 22 minutes. The interior of the loaf will read 190°F on an instant-read thermometer. If it doesn’t, let it bake till it does, but don’t over-bake; this bread is designed to be moist inside.
Here’s an experiment that went awry. I thought, how about adding some cheese powder to the dough, to make cheese bread? The loaf on the right is what happened when I added 1/4 cup of cheese powder.
Let the loaf cool completely before slicing. Cutting into a loaf of hot bread can give the whole thing a gummy texture. Patience is a virtue!
Spread with butter.
Or toast, and spread with butter. Doesn’t this look like the best toast? It is.
Read, rate, and review (please!) our recipe for English Muffin Toasting Bread.
Buy vs. Bake
Buy: Pepperidge Farm Hearty White Farmhouse Bread, 24-oz. loaf, $3.99
Bake at home: English Muffin Toasting Bread, 26-oz. loaf, $1.19
December 25th, 2008 at 9:55 pm
PJ, that bread looks wonderful. I have just recently added white bread to my repetoire, so I was glad to see this recipe, and I loved the tip about dusting the pan with cornmeal. Did you brush an eggwash on the bread before you baked it? It has such a great shine in the photos.
Actually, good point, I brushed the loaf with melted butter when I took it out of the oven - thus the shine. I should mention that, huh? Thanks-PJH
December 25th, 2008 at 11:39 pm
Two questions: could I substitute melted butter for the oil, and does it matter what version of milk I use? We normally just have skim here. Thanks!
Yes, Jules, I use 1% milk all the time, and skim should be fine. And butter should be fine, too. The key is using the right pan (8 1/2″ x 41/2″, not 9″ x 5″), and letting it rise jut the right amount: JUST over the rim, maybe 1/2″. Hope it turns out well for you - PJH
December 26th, 2008 at 12:10 am
Years and years ago, I used to bake a similar loaf. The recipe was called “English Muffin Bread”. The results of that recipe, though it had good flavor, did not have the craggy holes of this loaf. This recipe will be on my table this morning.
December 26th, 2008 at 7:21 am
OH…it looks phenomenal.
December 26th, 2008 at 8:50 am
I think you inspired me to try to make bread, I haven’t made bread from scratch since I got rid of my bread machine. I only used the bread machine for mixing and rising. And I didn’t use bread machine mixes either. This looks like the bread I use to by from my local bakery. They called it English Muffin Bread.
December 26th, 2008 at 9:34 am
Good morning, my father made English muffin bread but used his own recipe. I am so glad to find this and plan to start making it today. I am also wondering if I can exchange whole wheat for some of the flour. I grind wheat berries for my breads. If so, how fine should I grind the berries? You can certainly experiment by adding whole wheat. I would start by substituting 10% of the all purpose with your finely ground whole wheat berries. If you like that, then substitute another 10% and so on. Molly@KAF
December 26th, 2008 at 9:51 am
PJ, does a glass pan work for this at all? I have metal (which I’ll use today), but I was wondering how glass affects the baking. To use a glass pan just reduce the oven temperature by 25 degrees - Molly@KAF
December 26th, 2008 at 10:20 am
No scalding of the milk? The test kitchen has found that heating the milk to 125 degrees works for this recipe. Molly@KAF
December 26th, 2008 at 4:42 pm
Just made this bread and it was quick and easy. I substituted 1 1/2 cups of whole wheat floud and used olive oil. It was wonderful and a keeper! For those interested in calorie and fat counts, this loaf (with the whole wheat flour and olive oil) cut into 16 slices has 90 calories and 2.1 grams of fat per slice.
December 26th, 2008 at 6:02 pm
I can not see the recipe itself for some reason… Where is it?
thanks,
Hi Elena - Here’s a link for English Muffin Toasting Bread. The link to the recipe will always be at the end, after the photos. Enjoy - PJH
December 26th, 2008 at 6:17 pm
My seven year old made this bread this afternoon. She did it almost entirely by herself. Thanks for such a great recipe! We’ll make it again!
Great, Jules - tell her congratulations and give her a big hug from King Arthur! PJH
December 26th, 2008 at 10:11 pm
This is a bread I might just be able to make before the family is up on the weekend–they can sleep late, and I can see the sunrise. I put my bread in the microwave to rise, because somebody told me that Julia Child said it was a good thing to do–free of drafts, and I guess in this case it will still be slightly warm from heating the liquid. But what if I nod off, and the bread stays in for two hours? Or more? Can I punch it down and let it rise again? What happens to the texture if I do that? Can I make the dough at night, leave it in the crisper and bake it in the morning? Am I worrying unnecessarily that a loaf of yeast bread might be too quick and easy?
If the dough hasn’t fallen, it should be fine to deflate and let it rise again although the texture may be affected. And sure, you can make the dough the night before, refrigerate it and bake it in the morning. Molly @ KAF
Jackson, you can punch it down and let it rise again; you run the risk of losing some oven spring (a nice rise in the oven), but if you don’t wait TOO long it should be OK. The texture might be a little finer. You can try making the dough at night, putting it in the fridge (covered), then baking in the morning. Understand you need to put it in a big bag or bowl, as it’ll rise in the fridge. then you’ll need to shape it and let it rise, which will take awhile, as it needs to warm. I think you should just make some other kind of bread, if you want to go to all that trouble. This is an easy 90-minute bread—truly. Why not accept the poor thing for what it is?!
PJH
December 27th, 2008 at 12:10 pm
Dear PJ. I will make this bread for my grandson’s breakfast tomorrow. He is 19 and I don’t get many chances to remind him about the times we baked together when he was little. Thanks for this just-in-time recipe and all the other wonderful simple and tasty recipes from the past year. The American Biscotti recipe has been made at least a dozen times with great success. Just one example. Thanks to everyone who contributes to this great blog.
Happy New Year!
And a very Happy New Year to you, too, Margaret. I just made some biscotti myself (pecan-chocolate chip, for a party tonight…) - PJH
December 27th, 2008 at 12:16 pm
This is the easiest bread that I have ever made. Even on vacation, I cannot stay in bed past 630. The bread was cooling before the kids started coming down the stairs. The oldest and latest sleeper, may find nothing but crumbs. Thanks for the great recipe. Anne
I’m with you, AnneMarie - I’m out of bed usually by 5 a.m. Great time of the day. Glad the recipe worked well for you - enjoy! PJH
December 27th, 2008 at 9:11 pm
Lately I’ve been making these loaves in cast iron loaf pans, and they turn out great. Kind of funny the first time I made this loaf, and gave a slice of it toasted and buttered to my husband: he looked startled, and then asked for another slice, and then asked if he could take the second loaf to work. He called from work a couple of hours later, and said that I had three “orders” from coworkers for loaves. I make this bread at least once a week now. It’s amazing - and it does taste like English muffins.
December 27th, 2008 at 11:17 pm
Thank you for showcasing this recipe! I don’t do very much yeast work at all, because it takes so long, and because I’m a little intimidated by yeast, so this was the perfect recipe for me. I used King Arthur bread flour, since I had some on hand, and it turned out wonderfully. I love toast, and I really love English Muffin bread, but I never buy it because of how expensive it is. Now I never have to buy it! Thanks again; tomorrow I’ll try it out toasted with Nutella, mmm.
December 28th, 2008 at 2:49 pm
Just mixed this loaf up and set it out to rise. However, my dough was not “pourable” and so soft like yours. Mine was like a dough that had been kneaded. I followed the directions explicitly but don’t know why my dough is not soft like the description and picture. Will know if it turns out when it rises and bakes.
Hi Sandy: I’d guess you measured your flour by dipping the cup into the bag or canister, and sweeping off the excess. This will give you up to 3 to 4 tablespoons additional flour, per cup, than the sprinkle-and-sweep method we recommend. Either that, or you didn’t use King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour -did you use bread flour? Or another brand? Still I’m betting on the way you measured. It’ll probably be fine - just perhaps not quite as high-rising, and with finer texture. -PJH
December 28th, 2008 at 10:14 pm
I made this bread yesterday, and would have made a second loaf but we actually ran out of flour (so much holiday baking, we went through a 5 pound bag in less than a week!). The bread was a huge hit around here, and easier than most quick breads. I can see this becoming a staple. My dough rose in 35 minutes; will I see any advantages if I put it in a cooler spot to rise more slowly?
Nancy, the slower the rise, the more time the flavor has to develop. So, while the difference wouldn’t be immense, it wouldn’t hurt to slow it down a bit, flavor-wise. Glad it was a hit! PJH
December 29th, 2008 at 2:57 pm
Thanks for your commments PJH. So what is the spinkle and sweep method of measuring flour? I used King Arthur All-Purpose Flour….nothing but KAF enters my house! I did scoop the flour directly from the bag. The bread rose up nice and high but the texture was not as “holey” as your picture. However, the bread is delicious and literally melts in the mouth when toasted. I plan to make a loaf and take it to friends, along with my homemade freezer jam as a belated Christmas gift….just could not get it done beforehand since I had a dinner party for 18 on the 20th and 8 people for Christmas Eve dinner too!
I made the sprinkle and sweep method a link to our page detailing it; it’s a link here again. Can you see it (I hope)? Just click on “sprinkle and sweep method.” So take a look -
I’m glad your bread came out well anyway. And I hope you’re allowing yourself to relax today - sounds like big doings over the holidays! PJH
December 29th, 2008 at 3:35 pm
just to tell how much i enjoy your products i will purchase more of them you have me hooked thanks
Hey, thanks, Donna! PJH
December 30th, 2008 at 1:52 pm
I just made this…fantastic, and it turned out exactly as pictured and described! I’m wondering if, and if so, in what proportion, white whole wheat can be substituted for some of the AP flour? Thanks for the steady inspiration throughout this holiday season!
Try 1/3 whole wheat (preferably white whole wheat), 2/3 AP flour, see where it takes you. It’ll be senser, drier, and won’t rise as high - that’ll be the tradeoff, but it might be worth it to you- PJH
December 30th, 2008 at 8:58 pm
I’ve got this loaf baking as I type–but when I pulled the plastic wrap off the loaf, the dough stuck to the plastic wrap and I ended up with a brick-shaped loaf. I’m hoping it’ll taste just fine, but I’m wondering what the secret is to getting the wrap off the dough once it’s crowned above the plan. Should I have greased it lightly? Yes, spraying it lightly works well in this situation. Molly @ KAF
December 31st, 2008 at 2:32 pm
I made this loaf again today using the “sprinkle and sweep” method as you suggested PJH. The dough looked like the picture this time and it looks gorgeous out of the oven cooling. Of course, the first one I made looked just as gorgeous! I am betting the texture is more “hole-y” like the picture this time. I won’t know as I am giving it as a gift along with 3 jars of my homemade peach, strawberry and blackberry freezer jams. I do plan to make another loaf for us very soon so will know then if the finished texture is true to the picture.
December 31st, 2008 at 8:45 pm
I made this Sunday, to take to my family who I went to visit Monday, but the bread never rose, even a quarter of an inch. The yeast was alive-when I added the liquids (which were in the temp range listed in the recipe) it bubbled-but I guess they died quickly because the load didn’t rise at all.
WOW, that’s really weird, Melanie. Wish I knew what happened. Are you sure your thermometer is accurate? Was the liquid hot, but not so hot it would feel uncomfortable? It’s definitely a yeast issue… Maybe you doubled the salt, or something? Too much salt kills yeast. Sorry ’bout that - PJH
December 31st, 2008 at 10:06 pm
Last comment…I promise! I sliced the loaf up before giving it to my friends. I am happy to report that the inside looked just like the picture! So the “sprinkle and sweep” method made the difference!
YAY Sandy! Amazing how much it matters to measure flour a certain way, eh? - PJH
January 2nd, 2009 at 10:25 pm
i made this fabulous loaf and really loved the texture and taste. Then, I was inspired to use it in your Overnight French Toast recipe. I’d made the recipe before Christmas with store bought bread and my co-workers devoured it. However, with the English Toasting Bread it was even more delicious. A winning combination and both recipes from KAF! I am addicted to your blog and don’t feel my day is complete unless I check the latest posting. Your compassion for what you do is inspiring. Many
thanks and continued success in 2009!!!
Yes indeed, this bread is super for French toast. Thanks for reminding us, Karen - glad it worked well for you. And happy 2009 - here’s to another year’s worth of baking discoveries. PJH
January 4th, 2009 at 1:03 pm
Hi, A note to Melanie on her bread not rising. I too used active yeast and on one loaf put the yeast in the HOT liquid and bread did not rise. The temp for the hot liquid in recipe I believe is too hot for dry active yeast. Also, the olive oil may have something to do with it. I made a second loaf with proofing the yeast just in the water at 110 degrees and it was just fine. Don’t know if this was the problem but at least you are not alone in the no rise surprise. I am getting instant yeast for this recipe to see if it is a better choice. Also, I need to try the fluff and sprinkle method of flour measuring as my dough comes out between a batter mixture and regular dough texture. Thank PJH for your VERY helpful hints.
I suspect this recipe works better with instant yeast. However, if you use active dry, DON’T put it in the hot water! Do as the recipe says and mix it in with the other dry ingredients, then pour the hot water over; the flour, etc. acts as a buffer against the heat of the liquid. And yes, do try the fluff and sprinkle method of measuring flour - it’s how we write all of our recipes, so you’ll get better results doing it that way - at least on THIS site! PJH
January 6th, 2009 at 7:27 pm
This sounds like a great bread. I can’t wait to try it. I love to bake and baking bread is one of my favorite things. I can’t show up to a family function without my homemade rolls. Is this recipe in the KAF cookbook? I have been looking at it wanting to order it but have not done so yet. The catalog for me is like a wishbook. I want everything! I only use the KAF bread flour for my bread. Thanks for such a great product.
I’m not sure if this recipe is in our 200th Anniversary Cookbook, but I don’t believe it’s in The Baker’s Companion - which you should get anyway, as it’s LOADED with great recipes, tips, and all-around neat baking info. Glad you’re a bread-baker, Tina - it’s a fascinating area to explore. PJH
January 6th, 2009 at 8:30 pm
I made this bread yesterday Although the holes were not as big as those in the photos, it tasted great!
My first question is - I have a KA Pro 600, and the instruction book says to never go over speed 2 when making yeast doughs. I was reluctant to follow your instruction to beat at high speed (10) for one minute. How do I adapt this recipe?
Also, I would like to double the recipe. When I made bread years ago, (and the yeast was only available in the little packets) I remember the recommendation to not double the yeast when doubling the recipe. Is that also true for the instant yeast?
I love this blog! Thanks- Nancy
Nancy, go ahead and beat at high speed for 1 minute; trust me, it’s OK. It won’t hurt the machine, since the dough is so wet. It’s more like cake batter than bread dough. And that’s right, you don’t need to double the yeast - the original recipe, in fact, called for 6 cups of flour. I just cut it back because most people make a single loaf of bread these days. PJH
January 10th, 2009 at 8:29 pm
This bread is so beautiful, i made 3 loaves today. I love to bake different kinds of breads, but i find this one is so easy to make. I used half wheat flour and half alpourpose and it came out just like the picture above. I love this recipe, I’ll always make this bread. My kids enjoy it.
Excellent, Tracie. Glad it worked for you, and your kids like it. Thanks for sharing - PJH
January 14th, 2009 at 7:36 pm
I finally got a chance to make this today. It was a little flat (too cold and my 5 yr old daughter measured the yeast before I could fix the adjustable measuring spoon) (or I just need to replace my yeast) The kids like it though, we are almost out. I think my husband will be able to make this without too much trouble. So I’m leaving him with the recipe and a 5 year old asking to help make it.
Good idea, Jennifer… Actually, this is a great loaf to make with kids, because they can enjoy the results pretty quickly. PJH
January 18th, 2009 at 11:51 am
I’ve made this bread several times since I first tried it on New Year’s Day. Everyone in my house loves it! A loaf doesn’t even last a day — it gets devoured as toast and as english muffin pizzas. I used to spend a lot on good english muffins, now I make this bread and everyone is happy. I’m thinking about making multiples and freezing one for later. Hopefully it works. Thanks for such an easy tasty bread!
January 18th, 2009 at 5:21 pm
FWIW, I substituted 1/2 cup KAF bread flour to make the crumb a little less delicate and it worked great. As posted above, my rise time with 3 cups flour and 1 tablespoon of instant yeast is about 30 minutes, sometimes too fast for what I need! If I cut the yeast to 1/2 tablespoon, will the rise take roughly an hour? We love this bread.
January 19th, 2009 at 8:42 am
This recipe looks great - I must share a book I purchased over the holidays called “Artisan Breads in 5 minutes a day” - Hertzberg/Francois. Their recipes follow the same principles - a wet dough, no kneading. But these recipes make enough for 3-4 loaves at a time, keeping dough in the fridge until you are ready to bake. I have had great results using KA products - flours, large dough rising bucket, dough whisk, baguette pan and on and on…I have tried bread machines and mixes in the past to get quick results, but this type of recipe really works for me! Thanks for all your great products and advice!
Kathy, so right - I’ve been working my way through “Artisan Breads in 5 Minutes a Day,” and we’ll be offering it (with accompanying tools) in the catalogue this fall. AWESOME bread - and unbelievably easy. - PJH
January 21st, 2009 at 11:13 pm
I love the idea of making a decent bread in so short a time so I tried out the recipe today.
I did two loaves. The first loaf I followed the recipe to the letter and the second loaf I substituted half the bread flour with whole wheat flour.
The problem I encountered was that the domes that started to develop during the proofing collapsed when I put them in the oven. the finished breads came out flat and the crumb looked a little dense. I was gentle with the dough when I placed the pans in the oven and like I said the rise during proofing looked picture perfect (50 minutes). The oven was preheated to 400 degrees and I have not had any rising issues with other breads so far.
Any ideas on what I did wrong? If I can get this recipe right, it would be a good one to have on hand if I needed to make some quick loaves.
TIA for any help.
Darren
The liquid may have been off jus t abit to give this dense loaf. Please give us a call and talk to one of the bakers. Frank from KAF.
January 30th, 2009 at 4:04 pm
I’ve made about 4-5 loaves of this in the last two weeks. I find it’s the easiest (and tastiest) bread recipe ever!!
Be sure to grease/oil your hands or spatula when removing the dough - it’s very sticky.
The absolute best toast ever and great for mini pizzas (I use sauce, shredded cheese, garlic powder, and a pinch of kosher salt, per slice).
The bread of 1000 uses, huh, Zeke? Glad you’re enjoying it- PJH
February 8th, 2009 at 6:56 pm
I just made this bread for the second time. The first time I used all-purpose flour and a 9″x5″ glass pan. It didn’t rise much at all, but it still had a decent texture. Then today I decided to give it another try. I decided to experiment, using KAF unbleached bread flour for one loaf and unbleached pastry flour for the second loaf. I actually meant to use all-purpose flour but I mistakenly grabbed pastry flour. I was surprised to discover the loaf made with pastry flour rose slightly more, but it also cracked around the edge and on top a bit. Nevertheless, I was really happy that my bread rose really nicely this time-the pan size really does make a big difference.
Thanks for carrying out this experiment, Jackie. Did you use a 9″ x 5″ pan each time? The recipe calls for an 8 1/2″ x 4 1/2″ pan, which gives a nice rise. A 9″ x 5″ pan is 30% larger, by volume, than an 8 1/2″ x 4 1/2″; so you won’t get nearly the nice rise in a 9″ x 5″ pan. PJH
February 9th, 2009 at 8:49 am
I guess I forgot to add that the second time I used 8 1/2″ loaf pans for both loafs the second time around.
That should help, Jackie - using an 8 1/2″ x 4 1/2″ pan. PJH
February 24th, 2009 at 4:10 pm
Do I have to use a Stand Mixer for this? Can I use a handheld mixer or even a wooden spoon?
Yes to the hand mixer. Not sure about the wooden spoon. How much energy and how strong are you? If you’re a good, strong beater by hand, give it a try - probably you’ll need to stir for several minutes to develop the dough’s gluten enough… PJH
February 26th, 2009 at 11:08 pm
PJ - I had recently talked about using sourdough in the recipe from Beauty and the Baguette in the banter about the rustic sourdough loaf. Wondering if I can use my starter for this. Thinking of substituting 1/2 cup of starter for 1/2 cup of the flour and the 1/4 cup of water. Think it would work? Saw the recipe for the sourdough english muffins, and thought it might work on this. Wonder if I could make a bread out of the sourdough english muffin recipe? I can’t seem to stop this sourdough obsession. I will be mixing this by hand, as I don’t have a mixer. Thanks for this great site. I am hooked on it these days. Ron
Ron, I think it would work fine in this recipe - but don’t leave out the yeast, thinking the sourdough will take care of the rising. The sourdough will be there strictly for flavor in this one. Sourdough’s fun, huh? Enjoy - PJH
March 4th, 2009 at 9:56 pm
PJ - Just a follow up to let you know that replacing 1/2 cup of flour and the 1/4 cup of water with the 1/2 cup of sourdough starter worked out very well. Bread had great texture, with nice large holes, sliced well, toasted perfectly, and had a great tang from the starter. I did use all the yeast called for, as I was mostly after the flavor with the starter. Also made the sourdough english muffins. Very fun to make, looked beautiful, and tasted great, although not as big holes, even when fork split. My granddaughter and I made them, and we used an elephant shaped cookie cutter ( I think from KAF) for a few. She loved them, it was fun, and who says they have to be round. I used a wide mouth canning jar lid to cut the rest out.
What happened to the part of the website that had pictures of all of you so we could see who we are Bakers Bantering with?
Thanks again for your help and encouragement.
Thanks - Ron
Excellent, Ron - that was a great idea, subbing the starter in the toasting bread. I’ll definitely have to try that. And English Elephants - a new thing to do with cookie cutters! As for the pics - hmmm, I’m not sure I remember having a section of the Web site with our photos. I’m after them to make a space for us to add our bios, the “about” part that all bloggers have, but we’re pretty far down the project priority list. That would have photos. In the meantime, we do occasionally appear pictured in our own blogs. Check out this one for pictures of me and Susan. Cheers- PJH
June 11th, 2009 at 3:25 pm
Am trying out this recipe for the first time . . . had anticipated only great things from all that I’ve read. However. Isn’t there always a however lurking? I decided that since I was going to be firing up the oven, why not do 2 loaves. I wasn’t sure if my mixer bowl could handle a dbl recipe, so I did it one at a time. Good thing that. While mixing up the first batch I ended up seeing the 1/4 tsp measuring spoon in my hand as I just finished putting in the salt. Yikes, I must’ve used that instead of the 1/2 tsp that I like to use, so I added in more salt. A call came that required me to leave my loaves alone (not happy) & when I got back one loaf was beautifully risen - the other not so much. I’m thinking I must’ve put too much salt (guess it’ll be croutons or bread crumbs in its next life) & has a big long crack down the middle, but why would my other loaf collapse when I removed its cover? How can I prevent this the next time.
Either way, they smell great as they cool!
It is possible that you let your dough rise too long so it collapsed Joan@bakershotline
Hi - This is a really wet dough, and therefore it’s quite delicate; let it rise too long, it’ll collapse. I think that’s what must have happened, as Joan surmised. Probably the one without salt rose too fast; and the other, with too much salt, too slow. Better luck next time! PJH
June 12th, 2009 at 9:56 pm
Thank you Joan & PJH for answering so quickly. My husband thinks both loaves are tasty . . . but then again he doesn’t know the background story- & we ain’t telling, right? Now I know that if a call comes in when I’m making bread I ought to let the answering machine take the call! I detect a slightly salty flavor in the “crack-y” loaf, but the other, even tho’ it has a “military haircut” shape, is mighty delish. Thank you, also, to April who took a couple of my calls, too. Aloha & Mahalo to all!
We’ll never tell…
PJH
June 16th, 2009 at 9:53 am
Have made this recipe 3x and have not gotten the results I am looking for. The first time, I made some mistakes which I thought I had corrected in the second and third attempts, but I am still not getting the big holes I am looking for. Ordering the KAF yeast (have been using ‘rapid rise’ which is available locally). I think the additional issue may be too much flour - my dough is never as soft as the picture appears - but I have been using the measuring method described here. Do I need to sift? Finally, I am using a glass pan in the correct size and found I needed to set the oven temp to 400 but I never get 190 internal temp mentioned.
Nadine, if your dough isn’t as soft as the picture, then yes, you’re still getting too much flour into it… Since this is such a soft dough, it’s important to get that flour/liquid ratio just right. Letting it rise enough and having a very sticky, batter-like dough is key. I’m sorry it’s not working for you, texture-wise… hope it still tastes good! PJH
July 21st, 2009 at 4:32 pm
Thank you KAF for sharing this wonderful recipe! I usually shy away from any bread that involves yeast and letting things rise. In general my experiences have not been worth the time spent. This recipe has been quite the contrary though. I’ve baked this bread twice and been thrilled beyond belief and even felt a bit of an ego boost from it both times. I make olallieberry jam annually and this bread has been the perfect accompaniment to it.
Thank you once again!
Olallieberry jam - what a wonderful thing to pair with this bread. Glad it works out well for you, Kimberly - PJH
September 7th, 2009 at 1:42 pm
I found this recipe two weeks ago and have made it three times - it is awesome. My neighbors are beating on my door. My little secret is to weigh the flour rather than measure volume.
Today, while reading the feedback, you said it is not necessary to double the yeast if you double everything else. Why is that?
I have 1 pound of KAF yeast on order. I should keep it in cool pantry, refrig or freezer?
Thanks.
Hi Dave - If you’re really scaling up a recipe a lot, you’d scale up the yeast, too. But yeast grows very quickly, and the more food it has (the bigger the recipe), the quicker it reproduces; thus you don’t need to double it when you double the flour. I’m glad you’re getting that SAF yeast;keep it in the freezer in an airtight jar (I use glass); no need to thaw before using, just spoon it out. Have fun! PJH
September 12th, 2009 at 10:00 am
I’ll be making this tomorrow, and I have a question. Will it make a difference if I substitute bread flour? I have both bread and AP on hand, so I can use either, but would like to use bread flour if it won’t make a difference.
Thank you!
Bread flour is fine, Melissa, but you’ll need to increase the water by a couple of tablespoons, OK? Or enough to make the dough look the way it looks in the blog pictures. It DOES make a difference in the flour/liquid ratio - so just try to match the photo. Enjoy - PJH
October 3rd, 2009 at 9:03 am
My son is allergic to dairy. Will soymilk work in this recipe? I am going to try it, but I am always looking for good alternatives.
Yes, soy milk gives you no fat and less flavor. If you are missing the taste of fat, take out 1 T. milk and add 1 T. oil. You might also consider rice milk as a substitution. Irene @ KAF
November 15th, 2009 at 7:10 pm
Today, I made the English Muffin Toasting Bread. It turned out exactly as pictured and was as easy as the recipe stated. Your instructions are easy enough for a 10-year-old to follow! I have to say that I am a bread ’snob’. I have baked homemade bread for over 30 years and have never bought a bread machine. While they are nice for some people, I felt that hand kneaded and baked in your oven was better and everyone that ate my bread agreed. However, I haven’t made bread regularly for years. I save it for a special treat at the holidays because kneading dough for several loaves by hand gets quite difficult as you get older.
Recenty, I started experimenting with some of your breads because I have always used KAF flour (at least I was smart enough to use the best!) and finally looked at your recipes. When I realized that I could make bread by using my Kitchen Aid I decided to try some of your recipes. I first made the white sandwich bread and then the whole wheat sandwich bread followed by the sandwich rye bread. Each recipe was so easy and produced perfect loaves.
Now, after making the best English Muffin loaf I have ever made, I am going to just start at one end of the bread recipes and work my way through each and every one that looks good to me. I may even make some sourdough starter and make sourdough breads again!
Thank you all so much for not only providing the best quality of ingredients for home bakers, but for giving us recipes with detailed instructions along with an outlet when we need help. Your blogs are marvelous and a great addition to your website. I only wish I had looked at the recipes and blogs sooner!
Barbara, thanks for sharing your story here. Did you know King Arthur is the biggest educator of home bakers in the world? And I always like to think that education happens in so many ways - via classes, sure, but also through our cookbooks, and now through our online recipes and blog. I’m SO glad you’re having good success with your breads; yes, a KitchenAid does a fine job of kneading and is a godsend for older hands. My mom is 83 and she loves making dough in her bread machine (she doesn’t have a KitchenAid); it’s allowed her to keep making bread and cinnamon buns way past when she probably would have. So keep that KitchenAid humming - and good luck with the rest of those bread recipes; we surely have a lot of them for you to try! Thanks again for connecting here - PJH