This is that seven minute score on my little baby yeast water loaf.

This week we’re learning something important. Not all bread is exposed to heat the same way. Most of the breads we bake together go into an oven where heat surrounds the dough from every direction. That creates oven spring, crust development, ears, bloom, and all the things we usually chase in artisan bread. English muffins are different. They’re cooked on a griddle. Lower heat. Slower cooking. Different structure. And that’s exactly what helps create those famous little pockets we call nooks and crannies. Those pockets don’t happen by accident. They come from fermentation, dough handling, and the way the dough cooks slowly across the surface instead of blasting upward in an oven. And here’s another thing a lot of people never learn: You don’t cut English muffins with a knife. You split them with a fork. The fork preserves the crumb structure and exposes all those irregular little pockets that hold melted butter, jam, or honey. This weekend’s bake-along is gonna teach a completely different relationship between dough and heat. And honestly? That’s one of the coolest things about bread baking. Perfection is not required. Progress is. ~ Henry ⭐🔥