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MESSAGE bread-bakers.v099.n008.7 - "English muffin bread"

Mitch Smith <smithm@mvp.net>
Sat, 30 Jan 1999 20:08:01 -0600
v099.n010.17
From: "Mega-bytes" <Mega-bytes@email.msn.com>

>                          English Muffin Bread

>Recipe By     :
>Serving Size  : 1    Preparation Time :
>Categories    : Breads/Abm
>
>  Amount  Measure       Ingredient -- Preparation Method
>--------  ------------  --------------------------------
>   1 1/4  cups          water
>   2      teaspoons     sugar
>   1      teaspoon      salt
>     1/4  teaspoon      baking soda
>   3      cups          bread flour
>   3      tablespoons   nonfat dry milk
>   2      teaspoons     yeast

>Instructions:

>Don't be alarmed at the small size of the loaf; the top is supposed to
>sink.

I hope the list will forgive my modest rant on this subject, but recipes
with names like this drive me batty. The above recipe is like serving 
fried chicken with some cream gravy which has a shot of wine and 
then calling the dish "coq au vin."

"English muffins" are only that because they are a stove-top griddle
cooked bread. The recipes for english muffins vary quite a bit, but the 
one thing they have in common is they are cooked on a griddle or in
a frying pan on top of the stove. 

If you cook the dough in an oven or another closed environment such
as a bread machine, the resulting product no longer has any relation
to an english muffin. The resulting character of the bread changes 
completely.

Interestingly, the British don't make "english muffins" but they do make
"crumpets" which are similar, but are griddle cooked in rings from a 
yeast batter, rather than cut from a stiffer dough as the American 
"english muffins" are.

I'm sure the recipe posted gives a very tasty bread, but it has nothing
to do with english muffins.