English Muffin Toasting Bread

I just had to bake again this morning, no question about it. The KitchenAid stand mixer was still out on the counter and our lunch sandwiches could finish the last loaf of bread. Presto! there was my excuse to have fun in the kitchen. Not that I wanted to spend all day waiting for sourdough, or even wait a few hours for baguettes to rise. A fast and tasty yeast bread would be a good choice.

I first tried this bread in May 2009, on board the boat and cruising in British Columbia. For the recipe and the old post click here.

What a difference the KitchenAid makes, especially with today's “beat at high speed for one minute” direction. Have you ever tried beating a heavy, sticky dough by hand, at high speed, for one very long minute? I did last May, after a small portable hand mixer bogged down and quit. Everything is easier and faster with a stand mixer... everything like mixing, kneading and even the kitchen/galley cleanup that follows.

Here’s the loaf after a 40-minute rise, ready to bake.

After 35 minutes in the oven, it looked golden and gorgeous.

That funny hole is from my messy poking around with the quick-read thermometer. 

We enjoyed the first few slices as a snack - toasted, buttered and topped with a hit of lingonberry jam (RL) and lemon curd (me). The next three slices made toasted croutons for our dinner salad. At this rate, I'll be baking again soon.