English Muffin Toasting Bread
from http://www.kingarthurflour.com/

This yeasty, coarse-textured bread makes the best toast ever, a perfect partner to fresh summer jam or preserves. Dusting the bread pan with cornmeal makes the crust very lightly crunchy, perfect for either toast or sandwiches.

FMM: This bread is a bit dry, especially if you toast it, and doesn’t have that deeper bread flavor you get from fermenting the dough. There is no bulk ferment. Still, it is not bad especially when toasted, buttered, and topped with jam or jelly. The bread is very quick and easy to make, and I do like the crunch from sprinkling cornmeal in the pan before putting the dough in it. I liked it better than Brian did, but I do not think I would make it again.

To make Texas Toast, cut the bread into 3/4" to 1" thick slices. Combine equal amounts of garlic oil [or garlic paste] and melted butter, and spread it on both sides of each piece of bread. Fry the bread until golden brown on each side. See Texas Toast

3 cups King Arthur Unbleached 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 or olive oil
cornmeal, to sprinkle in pan

Whisk together the flour, sugar, salt, baking soda, and instant yeast in a large mixing bowl.

Combine the milk, water, and oil in a separate, microwave-safe bowl, and heat to between 120°F and 130°F. Be sure to stir the liquid well before measuring its temperature; you want an accurate reading. If you don't have a thermometer, the liquid will feel quite hot (hotter than lukewarm), but not so hot that it would be uncomfortable as bath water.

Pour the hot liquid over the dry ingredients in the mixing bowl.
Beat at high speed for 1 minute. The dough will be very soft.
Lightly grease an 8 1/2" x 4 1/2" loaf pan, and sprinkle the bottom and sides with cornmeal.

Scoop the soft dough into the pan, leveling it in the pan as much as possible.

Cover the pan, and let the dough rise till it's just barely crowned over the rim of the pan. When you look at the rim of the pan from eye level, you should see the dough, but it shouldn't be more than, say, 1/4" over the rim. This will take about 45 minutes to 1 hour, if you heated the liquid to the correct temperature and your kitchen isn't very cold. While the dough is rising, preheat the oven to 400°F.

Remove the cover, and bake the bread for 22 to 27 minutes, till it's golden brown and its interior temperature is 190°F.
Remove the bread from the oven, and after 5 minutes turn it out of the pan onto a rack to cool. Let the bread cool completely before slicing.

Yield: 1 loaf.