Bleu Berry Thyme English Muffin Bread

Bleu Berry Thyme English Muffin Bread

2023 National Festival of Breads

Carmell Childs

Clawson, Utah

Quick and Easy Category Honorable Mention

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INGREDIENTS

¾ cup warm water (110°F - 115°F)
⅔ cup low-fat buttermilk, room temperature (80°F)
½ tablespoon honey
1 (¼-ounce) package active dry yeast
1 - 2 tablespoons cornmeal, divided
2½ cups Gold Medal™ All-Purpose Flour*
1 teaspoon salt
⅔ cup small, sweetened dried blueberries 
⅓ cup plus 1 tablespoon small blue cheese crumbles
1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme leaves

DIRECTIONS

  1. In a medium mixing bowl, combine water, buttermilk, honey and yeast. Set aside to proof, about 10 minutes. Lightly spray a 9” x 5” tin loaf pan with nonstick spray. Sprinkle bottom and sides with cornmeal; set aside.
  2. Stir the flour and salt into the wet ingredients until thoroughly combined. The mixture should be extremely wet and resemble a thick pancake batter rather than a dough. If needed, add more flour or water 1 tablespoon at a time to achieve this consistency. Beat 4 - 5 minutes.
  3. Stir in the blueberries, cheese crumbles and thyme just until incorporated.
  4. Use a rubber spatula to transfer and gently spread the batter/dough into the prepared pan. Allow to rise in a warm location 50 - 60 minutes or just until the dough almost reaches the top of the pan. While dough rises, preheat oven to 425°F.
  5. Carefully dust the risen dough with about 1 teaspoon cornmeal. Bake 28 - 30 minutes or until deep golden brown and the internal temperature is 206°F - 209°F. Transfer pan to cooling rack. Remove bread from pan to keep sides optimally crisp. Cool completely before slicing.

*Note from Carmell: Flour should be fluffed with a fork, and then spooned into the dry measuring cup and leveled. Depending on the temperature and humidity, you may require slightly more or less flour than stated. A very wet dough that resembles a thick batter is key to achieving all of the beautiful nooks and crannies that are synonymous with the proper texture of an English muffin. 

NUTRITION INFORMATION PER SERVING (1 SLICE, 52g): 100 calories, 1g total fat, 1g saturated fat, 0g trans fat, 5mg cholesterol, 200mg sodium, 22g total carbohydrate, 1g dietary fiber, 6g total sugars, 3g protein, 30mcg folate, 2mg vitamin C, 1mg iron.