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Slice of English muffin bread on wood cutting board.

Easy English Muffin Bread

Yield: 20 to 24 slices (2 8 1/2 X 4 1/2-Inch loaves)
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 28 minutes
Rising Time: 2 hours 30 minutes
Total Time: 3 hours 13 minutes

Ingredients

  • 3 cups (726 g) warm water, about 100-110 degrees F
  • 1 tablespoon instant or active dry yeast
  • 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
  • 1 tablespoon table salt
  • 5 ¾ cups (817 g) all-purpose flour

Instructions 

  • In a large bowl, add the water, yeast, and sugar. Let sit until the yeast is bubbly and foamy, 2 to 3 minutes.
  • Add the salt and two cups of the flour. Mix with a dough hook, spoon, or spatula until combined. Add the remaining flour and mix until the dough comes together in a shaggy ball and no dry streaks remain. You may want to ditch the stirring utensil, grease or lightly flour your hands, and mix by hand until it comes together. The dough will be quite sticky; that is normal.
  • Cover the bowl and let rise until the dough has doubled (it will be very puffy).
  • Lightly grease two 8 1/2 X 4 1/2-Inch loaf pans with cooking spray. Using greased hands, lightly punch down the dough and divide into two equal pieces.
  • Gather up one portion of dough in greased hands and quickly and lightly shape into a rough semblance of a loaf shape. Dump into one of the prepared pans. Repeat with the other half of dough. The loaves are meant to look a bit rough and rustic.
  • Cover the bread pans and let the loaves rise until the bread is 1/2 to 1-inch above the edge of the pan. Toward the end of rising time, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
  • Bake the bread for 25 to 30 minutes until golden on top and baked through. Remove from the oven and turn the loaves onto a wire rack to cool completely.
  • The bread is delicious toasted (or untoasted!) with butter and jam.

Notes

Sourdough Variation: for a simple sourdough variation (which helps add the characteristic tangy flavor of classic English muffins), decrease the water to 2 1/4 cups and the flour to 5 cups and add 1 1/2 cups fed or discard sourdough starter with the warm water, yeast and sugar. If using ripe and bubbly sourdough starter, you can decrease the yeast to 1 to 2 teaspoons. I haven't tested this recipe omitting the yeast completely.
Make-Ahead: the mixed dough (regular or sourdough version) can be refrigerated for 24 to 48 hours before shaping into loaves and baking. If doing so, press greased or oiled plastic wrap directly to the surface of the dough and seal in a covered container to prevent dry spots forming on the top of the dough. Take the dough out of the refrigerator 45 to 60 minutes before shaping into loaves.