Looking for the best bread for sandwiches? This English Muffin Loaf is filled with those nooks and crannies and makes for the perfect sandwich or toast.
The bread dough used to make this sandwich loaf is almost identical to the dough used to make individual English muffins. Instead, we cut out several steps and make a baked English muffin recipe that’s got a similar texture of english muffins and is ideal as a sandwich loaf.
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What makes this the Best Sandwich Bread?
Plain and simple, it’s those nooks and crannies! Just like in regular english muffins, those nooks and crannies give this bread a unique character and help capture whatever it is you slather on this bread.
The best part? This bread is also much easier and less labor intensive than making individual muffins. Don't get me wrong, I love making English muffins and even have two different recipes, one for traditional English Muffins and one for sourdough discard homemade English Muffins.
One of my favorite ways to use these is to make English muffin breakfast sandwiches. And these are way better than any store-bought english muffins!
If you’re looking for a great bread for sandwiches or for toast with your breakfast, this recipe is it. This is a relatively easy recipe especially if this is your first time making bread, too! Another easy recipe to bake if you're newer to bread baking is my Condensed Milk Bread recipe - it's slightly sweet and so fluffy! A new favorite, you can't go wrong with is Banh mi bread, otherwise known as Vietnamese baguettes.
How to Make Homemade English Muffin Bread using a Stand Mixer
The dough for this loaf bread comes together really well using a stand mixer. The machine affixed with a dough hook, rather than the paddle attachment, does all the kneading for you.
And, since this dough has a high hydration level (simply put, this means there’s a high ratio of water to flour) it is soft and a bit sticky, making the mixer even more important as a tool to mix and knead without creating a giant mess.
Once the dough is kneaded and smooth, it needs to rest in the fridge overnight. If you’re interested in a bit of baking science talk: This fermentation period is essential to hydrating the flour, developing the gluten and producing the gases that help form the nooks and crannies.
Another reason the overnight rest is so important: flavor! Enough said, am I right? Leaving the dough to rest develops the flavors which is definitely something you want.
How to Prepare Easy English Muffin bread
Start by placing the dry ingredients in the bowl of a stand mixer. Add in the water and oil and mix to create a sticky, wet dough. Once the ingredients are mixed, turn up the speed and knead for what will seem like a long time!
Once you have a smooth dough, place the dough into a lightly oiled bowl, cover and chill overnight in the fridge. In the morning, remove the dough from the bowl and let the dough rest at room temperature, covered, for about 15 minutes.
Prepare the loaf pan by spraying with nonstick spray then sprinkling with semolina flour. Shape the bread into a loaf and place in the prepared pan, seam side down.
I have a video coming soon on how to shape the loaf. In the meantime, if you need a visual, there are loads of tutorials on YouTube - simply search "how to shape bread into a loaf."
Cover the loaf and place in a warm spot to allow time for the dough to rise. Once the dough has risen so the top of the loaf is the same height as the rim of the pan, it's time to bake!
Bake at 400ºF for about 25 minutes. Allow to cool completely before slicing. This part is really important! The bread will likely become gummy is you slice it before it's cooled, unfortunately. So exercise some patience and wait.
When you're slicing into your first piece of bread, be sure you know How Long Do English Muffins Last in the Fridge and this loaf? You don't want to miss out enjoying any piece of it.
Yes! Bread flour creates the best texture for this bread, however, if you do not have any, simply substitute all-purpose flour for the bread flour in equal amounts.
The easiest way to store loaves of english muffin bread is at room temperature in a plastic bag. This will keep for 3-4 days. After 4 days, place it in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.
To freeze, slice and place the slices in an even layer on a baking sheet. Place in the freezer for at least an hour then transfer the frozen slices to a freezer-safe plastic bag. Store up to 3 months. To defrost, simply place frozen slices of bread in the toaster and toast until desired doneness.
The short answer is yes, this recipe can be made without a mixer. It may be a bit messy because the dough is sticky and wet, however, it can be done.
Use a large mixing bowl in which to mix the dough plus a wooden spoon. Once the dough is mixed together, turn it out onto a very lightly floured clean work surface and start kneading. This may take about 15-20 minutes.
Be sure to avoid adding too much flour - this will be tempting since the dough is wet and sticky! But, just keep kneading and it'll create a smooth dough after some time.
If you have one, I’d recommend using a Pullman loaf pan. These pans are terrific for sandwich loaves, as they bake up tall and narrow-ish. If you only have a regular loaf pan, that will work just fine for this recipe as well.
Looking for more Homemade Bread Recipes?
Give these a try:
- Honey Wheat Sandwich Bread: This bread is packed with flavor and the entire loaf of bread can be made start to finish in just a few hours. A great alternative to this loaf of english muffin bread.
- Homemade Amish White Bread: Want an easy way to jump into bread making at home? This easy bread recipe is certainly a great recipe to start with. You may never go back to store-bought bread after making this delicious bread.
- Dutch Oven Bread: This recipe uses basic ingredients for an easy homemade bread! No kneading, just mix a few simple ingredients, let it rest then bake. It's magic!
- Semolina Bread: Semolina Bread is a crusty, hearty loaf of bread. It makes for the perfect addition to your dinner table. This bread recipe is made using semolina flour and is topped with sesame seeds, giving this bread a wonderful flavor.
- Chewy Pizza Dough: This homemade pizza dough recipe makes a crispy crust with a perfectly chewy texture. If you are looking for a pizza recipe that yields the best results, look no further.
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Ingredients
- 4 cups plus 2 tablespoons bread flour
- 3 ¼ teaspoons kosher salt
- 2 ¼ teaspoons active dry yeast
- 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
- 1 ¾ cups lukewarm water 85°F (29°C) to 90°F (32°C)
- 1 teaspoon neutral oil such as vegetable or canola oil
- semolina flour for dusting
Instructions
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, whisk together bread flour, salt, yeast, and sugar. Add 1 ¾ cups (420 grams) water plus the oil. Using the dough hook attachment, mix on medium-low speed until ingredients come together, scraping down sides of bowl as needed, 1 to 2 minutes (the dough will be shaggy but no dry flour bits should remain). . Increase speed to medium and let knead for 13 to 15 minutes. Dough will be shiny, smooth, elastic (does not tear when pulled) and dough will pull from sides completely and form a ball around the dough hook. Some of the dough may stick to the bottom of the bowl - that is okay.
- Brush a medium bowl with vegetable oil. Place dough in bowl and flip over a few times to cover the dough lightly in oil. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap that’s been brushed with oil, and let rise in the refrigerator overnight.
- Brush a Pullman loaf pan or regular loaf pan with vegetable oil. Dust lightly with semolina flour and set aside.
- On a floured surface, turn out dough, lightly pressing with just fingertips until even so as to not press out all the bubbles that were created from the overnight rise. Shape into a ball (does not need to be perfect), cover the dough with the bowl, inverted over the ball, and allow to rest for 15-20 minutes. This allows the gluten to relax a bit. The dough will be easier to shape once the gluten has relaxed. Shape by folding the top ⅓ of the dough into the center of the loaf. Press gently to seal. Grab the right and left sides and fold into the center, pressing gently to seal. Roll the top half towards you, pressing down and back firmly with your pointer fingers to create tension on the loaf. Repeat this one or two more times until the dough forms a long oval shape. Flip the dough over and pinch the seam to seal. Place the loaf, seam side down, in the prepared loaf pan. Cover and allow to rise in a warm spot (80°F) for 1- 1 ½ hours or until the top of the loaf is the same height at the sides of the loaf pan.
- Preheat oven to 400°F and bake 25 minutes or until bread registers 190°F on a thermometer. Allow to cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then remove from pan and allow to cool completely on a wire rack for at least 1 hour before slicing and toasting.
Notes
- Store cooled bread in a tightly sealed plastic or brown paper bag at room temperature for up to 4 days. Bread may be stored in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks
- To freeze, slice and place slices in a single layer on a baking tray. Freeze at least one hour then transfer to a plastic freezer-safe bag and store up to 3 months. To defrost, place frozen slices in the toaster until desired doneness
Nutrition
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Comments
Carriellen Angell
This recipe is delicious! What a great concept. It's flavorful and easy, and perfect for toast or sandwiches.
Kimberlee Ho
Wonderful! I'm so glad you made it and loved it!
Marina
What pan did you use for this loaf?
Kimberlee Ho
I used a Pullman loaf (1 Pound Size). It's taller and narrower than a traditional loaf pan. You can also use a traditional loaf pan.