No football this weekend, so I've kept myself busy baking bread and making a bean soup.  Hopefully the soup will be good enough to feature here later this week.  The bread is a definite success.

Remember those old Thompson's English Muffin commercials where they talked about the "nooks and crannies"?  When we were kids we always said "nooks and grannies."  Did anybody else do this, or just my goofy family?

As odd as it sounds, this bread really does taste like an english muffin when toasted.  Coarse texture, holey interior (captures the melted butter just like those nooks and crannies!) and yummy flavor.  The cornmeal gives the crust a nice crunch, too.

English Muffin Toasting Bread
adapted from King Arthur Flour

3 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 tablespoon instant yeast
1 cup milk
1/4 cup water
2 tablespoons vegetable oil

Put flour, sugar, salt, baking soda, and yeast in mixing bowl and whisk to combine.  Fit mixer with paddle attachment (not dough hook).

Heat milk, water and oil in microwave until it reaches 120-130 degrees.

Pour hot milk mixture over dry ingredients and beat on high speed for 1 minute.  Dough will be very soft and sticky.

Grease 8 1/2" x 4 1/2" loaf pan and dust bottom and sides with cornmeal.

Dump dough into loaf pan and level it out the best you can.  Cover loosely with greased plastic wrap and let rise 45-60 minutes, or until the dough rises about 1/2" from the rim of the pan.  Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Bake bread for 20-22 minutes, or until golden brown and internal temperature reaches 190 degrees.

Cool in pan 5 minutes, then remove bread to wire rack to cool completely before slicing.