Crackly on the outside, tender and craggy on the inside — this English Muffin Toasting Bread makes the best toast. It’s got that signature nooks-and-crannies texture that begs for melted butter and a slather of jam. No kneading, no fuss — just mix it up, toss it in a pan, and let the oven do the rest.
Weigh your flour; or measure it by gently spooning it into a cup, then sweeping off any excess. Whisk together the flour, sugar, salt, baking soda, and instant yeast in a large mixing bowl, or the bowl of a stand mixer.
Combine the milk, water and oil in a separate, microwave-safe bowl (or in a saucepan on the stovetop), and heat to between 120°F and 130°F. Be sure to stir the liquid well before measuring its temperature; you want an accurate reading. If you don't have a thermometer, the liquid will feel uncomfortably hot if you quickly dip your finger into it. Be sure it doesn't reach 140°F, as temperatures in that range can harm the yeast.
Pour the hot liquid over the dry ingredients in the mixing bowl and mix until thoroughly combined.
Using an electric beater, or stand mixer fitted with the flat beater attachment, beat on high speed for 1 minute; the dough will be smooth and very soft. If you don't have an electric mixer, beat by hand for 2 to 3 minutes, or until the dough is smooth and starting to become elastic.
Lightly grease an 8 1/2" x 4 1/2" loaf pan, and sprinkle the bottom and sides with cornmeal.
Scoop the soft dough into the pan, leveling it in the pan as much as possible.
Cover the pan, and let the dough rise untill it's just barely crowned over the rim of the pan. When you look at the rim of the pan from eye level, you should see the dough, but it shouldn't be more than, say, 1/4" over the rim. This will take about 45 minutes to 1 hour, if you heated the liquid to the correct temperature and your kitchen isn't very cold. While the dough is rising, preheat the oven to 400°F.
Remove the cover, and bake the bread for 22 to 27 minutes, untill it's golden brown and its interior temperature is 190°F.
Remove the bread from the oven, and after 5 minutes turn it out of the pan onto a rack to cool. Let the bread cool completely before slicing.
Store leftover English Muffin Toasting Bread, well wrapped, at room temperature for several days; freeze for longer storage.
To make a sourdough version of our English Muffin Toasting Bread (plus use up some discard starter), use these ingredients:
In a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer, whisk together the flour, sugar, salt, baking powder, and instant yeast. In a separate, microwave-safe bowl (or in a saucepan on the stovetop), combine the milk and oil, and heat to between 120°F and 130°F. Pour the hot liquid over the dry ingredients in the mixing bowl and mix until roughly combined. Stir in the discard starter. Proceed with the recipe as directed above, beginning with step 4. For start-to-finish details see our blog post, A tastier toasting bread.
