Ben-Nadav Hafri

Rachel was communing with the muffin dough.

Rachel was communing with the muffin dough.

If anyone could pull this off, it was gonna be Rachel. We were making English muffins from two recipes she'd created. One, using the ingredients listed on the Thomas's package, including vinegar. Now, having that list is helpful, but the ingredients only tell you so much. Baking, like mirepoix, is all about ratios and process.

If anyone could pull this off, it was gonna be Rachel. We were making English muffins from two recipes she'd created. One, using the ingredients listed on the Thomas's package, including vinegar. Now, having that list is helpful, but the ingredients only tell you so much. Baking, like mirepoix, is all about ratios and process.

Rachel was making a second batch with sourdough, which was her own spin. We were going to taste both, see which was closer to Thomas's, and then put it up against the real thing in the blind taste test.

Rachel was making a second batch with sourdough, which was her own spin. We were going to taste both, see which was closer to Thomas's, and then put it up against the real thing in the blind taste test.

That looks really good.

That looks really good.

I don't see a difference. I don't see a difference.

I don't see a difference. I don't see a difference.

They look identical.

They look identical.

It was amazing. I called the students over to see what they made of it.

It was amazing. I called the students over to see what they made of it.

We ran a mini test where the kids tasted the fresh muffins against Thomas's, and I quickly learned that they did not think as highly of Thomas's English muffins as I did.

We ran a mini test where the kids tasted the fresh muffins against Thomas's, and I quickly learned that they did not think as highly of Thomas's English muffins as I did.

Doesn't it taste like something you just spat it out?

Doesn't it taste like something you just spat it out?

Do you think if it gets stale, there might be a chance we pull this off, that people can't tell?

Do you think if it gets stale, there might be a chance we pull this off, that people can't tell?