Savor the flavor but save the fuel
Issue 95 : Mar/Apr 2014
The aroma of freshly baking bread fills the saloon and lifts our spirits. As coastal cruisers, we find it necessary and oh, so satisfying, to bake bread aboard our boat, Sirius. To make the most of our limited propane, we seldom use the oven, even for bread. Instead, we have devised a method for using a griddle, a vented lid, and a heat diffuser to make delicious English muffins on the stovetop.
English muffins
Makes 8 muffins
2 1⁄2 cups flour
1 teaspoon rapid-rise yeast
1⁄3 cup powdered milk
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon sugar
1 cup hot water (100° to 110°F)
Cooking oil (any oil will do; I used olive oil)
Combine 1 cup flour with the yeast, powdered milk, salt, sugar, and hot water. Let this mixture stand until foamy (10 to 15 minutes).
Stir the mixture into:
1 1⁄2 cups flour
2 glugs of oil (approximately 1 teaspoon per “glug”)
Knead until smooth and let rise 30 to 60 minutes. Divide into two balls. With lightly oiled hands, divide one ball into four pieces and form each into a ball. (Set the second half of the dough aside and see below for suggestions on using it.)
Warm the griddle on the heat diffuser until it is warm to the touch. Turn off the heat.
Place the balls of dough about an inch apart on the warmed griddle for rising. Place the lid on the griddle with the vent closed and let the dough rise until doubled, about 30 minutes.
With the griddle removed, preheat the diffuser. Place the griddle, with lid, back on the diffuser. Open the vent to allow steam to escape during baking. Turn the heat to low and bake 10 to 15 minutes until golden brown. Turn, and bake another 6 to 8 minutes until the second side is browned.
Let the muffins cool . . . if you can! Cut each in half and dress with butter and jam or honey.
The second half of the dough may be lightly oiled, put in a plastic bag and kept in the refrigerator to be used even several days later. Or leave it at room temperature overnight and bake it the next day. Leaving the dough for several hours will give the bread a more authentic, dense English-muffin texture with larger holes and extra tang.
MJ (Mary Jeanne) Richards and her husband, Durkee, are never happier than when sailing Sirius, their J/32, in the remote stretches of the magnificent coast of British Columbia and the west coast of Vancouver Island. They carefully conserve resources in order to stretch the time between provisioning stops. Baking bread aboard satisfies the soul and extends resources.
Thank you to Sailrite Enterprises, Inc., for providing free access to back issues of Good Old Boat through intellectual property rights. Sailrite.com
