Calling all bread bakers! NBR

Meggiemuggins · December 2014

Before DS was born, I made everything from scratch: bread, bagels, crackers, etc. I never found a great bread recipe, though. DH likes sandwich-style white bread and I've had the toughest time finding a recipe. Do you have a great white bread recipe to share, please? TIA!

ggatlanta · December 2014

I make this bread every week. We love it!

Tools needed include large mixing bowl, loaf pan (mine is 4x12 but 6x8 works too), measuring cups and spoons, clean dry towel, warm spot for dough to rise.

Tools that are helpful but not required are either a stand mixer or a large food processor. Without the mixer, it's much less messy / fewer dishes, or with the mixer your hands stay clean but your countertops and sink will need lots of cleaning. Either way works.

Ingredients:
2c milk (any fat ratio but we use skim)
2 1/4 tsp or 1 packet active dry yeast
2tbsp butter (could sub another oil but butter has a classic taste)
1tbsp salt
2tbsp sugar
5-6c flour (white, wheat, bread, or anything but self rising - white will give classic sandwich bread taste and is what I use)

Heat 1c milk to warm temperature - I microwave it, stir it thoroughly, then dip my finger all the way in to make sure it's warm without burning, all the way through

Sprinkle yeast on warm milk and let sit 10 minutes for yeast to activate

Melt 2tbsp butter

(Using stand mixer or 11+cup food processor with appropriate bread attachments, or by hand with long spoon) put 5c flour, sugar and salt together and mix.

Mix melted butter with yeast mixture and other cup of milk. Put mixture into a container suitable for pouring (I use a large cup measure)

Slowly add liquid to flour mix until dough cleans from bowl (it will form a ball and not stick to sides anymore). You can add use up to another cup of flour (1/4c at a time) if dough remains bubble-gum sticky. Knead until dough springs back firmly when poked. In my cuisinart, this is 2-3 min, or in a kitchenaid, it's 6-8 min. (You can also mix and knead by hand in which case you knead 8-15 min depending on your strength and proficiency. If you do that I recommend turning the TV on before starting since you'll be bored and your hands will get very messy!)

Grease large bowl and put dough inside with towel to cover. Let rise in a warm place for one hour. (I turn oven on for 30 seconds of preheating then off again - that gets it to a nice warm cozy temp for rising.)

After dough doubles in size, or about one hour, punch it down to the length of your loaf pan. Fold it in thirds longways (like a hot dog) so it's rolled up to go into the pan, seam side down.

Recover with towel, return to oven to rise again until the dough rises above the top of the pan, or about two hours.

After two hours, remove towel and use serrated knife to cut a shallow slit down the middle of the loaf, longways. You can melt more butter to brush on at this point or make an egg wash for shiny bread but I do neither of those things.

Preheat to 375 and cook 20-35 minutes until golden brown. It will be closer to 20 for narrow loaf pans (4x12 ish) or more like 35 for wide ones (6x8 ish).

Eat a slice while it's warm!