Here is what happens when you don't proof your yeast...those little packets are not always reliable. (My daughter thought it looked like playdough). And yes, that was after it was cooked!
And here is what happens when you do things right.
This recipe is definitely a keeper. I have all the ingredients in my food storage and it was not difficult to make.
Here is the recipe:
Recipe makes 2 loaves. To get the true english muffin texture, make sure you don’t over mix and there is no kneading. This is one bread recipe I don’t use my Kitchen Aid on! I put my ingredients in a mixing and use a wooden spoon to mix it by hand.
6 cups of flour
2 1/4 tsp active dry yeast
1/4 tsp baking soda
2 cups of milk (I only had instant dry milk and it came out fine)
1/2 cup of water
1 Tbsp sugar 1 tsp. salt
Grease two 8″ loaf pans and sprinkle with a little cornmeal to coat the bottom and sides.
Combine 3 cups of flour, yeast and baking soda an set aside.
Warm the milk, water, sugar and salt until just warmed. You can do this in a saucepan or microwave.
Combine the milk and flour mixture using wooden spoon. Add the remaining three cups of flour and mix.
The dough will be very sticky and hard to work with, so just scoop it out and put evenly into bread pans. I try to shape the tops a little with my spoon. Sprinkle with a little more cornmeal.
Let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 45 minutes.
Cook in a 400 degree oven for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown. Take out of pans immediately and cool on a wire rack.
