Thursday, August 13, 2009

English Muffins - BBA Challenge #12

Week 12's Bread Baker's Apprentice challenge is English muffins.

I decided to join in the fun that some of my fellow bakers were having by doing a bake off / throw down between two recipes.

Anyone who knows me, knows I'm a BIG fan of Rose Levy Beranbaum and her Bibles. Not only does she write very detailed cookbooks but she's also very supportive & giving to those on her website. I used her English Muffin recipe out of the Bread Bible (BB) and I had no doubt that her recipe would beat Peter's Bread Bakers Apprentice (BBA). But did it?

Both recipes came together quickly. The Bread Bible used a sponge that you can leave overnight in the refrigerator should you choose. Then mixed and baked the next day. The BBA used a direct method that took 4 hours from beginning to end.

The BB dough is rolled out and cut with a large biscuit cutter

While the BBA is shaped like a dinner roll.


BB's rising on corn meal

BBA's after rise


Both are cooked on the griddle until dark brown on both side.



BB's
BBA's

The BBA's is placed in the oven for 5-8 minutes to finish baking.
Final product: BB


BBA's




Crumb shots:
BB's
BBA's

So which one did we like best?
Much to my surprise, I liked BBA's. The BB had a slight sour dough taste which some may find appealing.

8 comments:

  1. Wow... this is great!!! I can't believe how much they look like store bought English muffins, but I know they tasted much better!!!

    I'm not so much a fan of sour dough, so I'd probably like Rose's better (I like the shape of hers a bit more too).

    Great review Tammy!!!

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  2. BB's definately has better nooks and crannies, something that I thought BBA's lacked (at least when I tried them). But even your BBA's have pretty good nooks and crannies. Great job on the side by side comparison. I love to compare different recipes head on like that. Thanks for doing the work.

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  3. I like your little heart on the BB muffin. Very pretty. Terri

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  4. Thanks Butteryum. I had no idea how simple they'd be to make.

    Thanks Cindy. It may be awhile before I do it again since it takes a bit more time and energy to compare recipes. But it is a lot of fun. :-)

    Thanks Mustang Terri

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  5. I absolutely love throw-down recipes, particularly when people compare their old stand-bys with the new upstart recipe from the BBA.

    Though I like the shape of the BB, it's a bit too perfect, while the BBA muffins, particularly in your photos, have a lot of character.

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  6. Gosh, these homemade English muffins looks nicer than any I've ever seen. I may finally have the incentive to try them on my own. Very appetizing indeed! Love your blog!

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  7. Thanks Misterrios... I love throw-downs too. :-) Thanks for the compliments on the muffins!

    Thanks for stopping by Jane. I love your blog too. I'm going to start following it. I'm so jealous of you. I want to go to culinary / pastry school! :-D
    The muffins are VERY easy to make and taste wonderful.

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  8. What lovely English muffins. I love all those crispy little nooks and crannies. Perfect for all the butter and jam.

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