On Mon, 12 Jan 2009 21:10:26 -0800 (PST), Doc >
wrote:

>On Jan 11, 2:23*pm, Boron Elgar > wrote:
>> I had every intention of making English Muffins today, but the lousy
>> weather was really bothering my arthritis, so I made the dough into
>> loaves and baked it. I have done this before with some of the dough
>> and it has always made really wonderful bread with ingredients I
>> rarely think of as going all together in a loaf.
>>
>Boron,
>What is the purpose of the soda? Two teaspoons seems like a lot, and
>it would seem to neutralize the acid and produce CO2, but if you knead
>it much I would expect the gas to dissipate.
>Doc


The baking soda is there because it is really English Muffin dough and
needed for the quick reaction to griddle the muffins. Since the extra
dough from one batch made such a spectacular loaf and had wonderful
oven spring, I left it in when I intended only to make the dough into
baked loaves, rather than stove-top muffins.

My tendency is not to measure at al when I bake, and I have ditzed
with this "recipe" over the past year or so, too, and had to try to
resurrect measurements for the post. You are certainly welcome to try
it with less baking soda and report back on results.

Boron