Looking for an excuse to use my new proofing oven/European (style) convection oven/microwave, this quick and easy breakfast snack bread fit the bill to perfection. It whips up in a breeze. And, the above picture was the result of exactly 1 hour in the proofing oven.
…Ok, it was really 57 minutes and 18 seconds in the proofing oven.
Oops, this time I forgot to sprinkle on my cornmeal before the rising. As you can see, almost all of the cornmeal just slid right off of the top. Deep dark Italian chestnut honey added a gorgeous brown color to the crust. And, the interior of the bread was a bit more golden (and seriously delicious).
As usual, I couldn’t resist. It was still piping hot for this first slice. After cooling, it slices much more smoothly. Have patience. This short wait yeilds a prettier and easier to toast slice.
But, it was no less resistible. An impatient snacker snatched the bottom edge before I could snap my shot.
English Muffin Bread
makes 1 loaf
3 cups AP flour
1 tsp fine sea salt
1/2 tsp baking powder
1 TBSP yeast
2 TBSP honey (Italian Chestnut Honey)
1 1/2 cups milk, warm
butter, for baking pan
cornmeal, for baking pan
Sift flour, sea salt, and baking powder. Set aside.
In a large mixing bowl, proof yeast, honey and warm milk. Let sit for 10 min. Then, add sifted flour mixture. Stir to combine. Pour into well-buttered loaf pan sprinkled with corn meal. Sprinkle additional cornmeal on top. Let rise for 57 minutes in proofing oven (Temp: 85-90 degrees F). Bake for 60-62 minutes at 375 degrees F. Do not preheat oven.
This loaf continued to rise significantly during baking. This added at least another inch to the final height.
Gorgeous!
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