Basic White Bread Recipe 465

EASY WHITE BREAD

Steps:

• Whisk water, sugar and yeast together. Allow to stand for 10 minutes until foamy.
• In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook attachment, combine the flour and salt.
• With the mixer running, add the water and allow to knead in.
• Add the butter or oil, allow to knead in then add more flour, one third cup at a time until the dough is smooth.
• Knead for another minuted until the dough comes away from the sides of the bowl.
• If the dough is still very sticky, add more flour and knead in.
• The dough should be smooth and soft and only a slight bit sticky.
• Cover with plastic or a damp tea towel and allow to rise for 1 hour.
• Once the dough has proofed, press it into rectangle on a lightly floured surface. Roll onto its self into a log, pinch the seam then transfer to a loaf pan that has been lightly greased.
• Covere again and allow to rise for 30 minutes while you preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F.
• Place in the oven and allow to bake for 30-45 minutes until golden brown and risen. Once baked the bread will sound hollow when tapped on the bottom.
• Remove, brush with a little butter and allow to cool before slicing.

THE SOFTEST, FLUFFIEST HOMEMADE WHITE BREAD YOU CAN MAKE

Steps:

• In your mixing bowl, add the packets of yeast and a 1/2 cup of warm water. Stir to mix. Let the yeast activate in the water for 5 minutes. Add the other 2-1/2 cups of warm water along with the 3 tablespoons of room temperature butter, plus the sugar and salt.
• Add first 4 cups of flour to the mixing bowl and stir ingredients together. You can mix by hand, but I prefer to use a stand mixer with a dough hook attachment.
• Mix on a low speed for 10 minutes while slowly adding the next 3 cups of flour. The dough ball should start to take shape and be 'tacky' to the touch, but not wet and sticky. It should 'clean' the sides of the bowl by itself, but feel free to scrape down excess dough if necessary. I find I may not even need to add the entire 7th cup of flour. But if the dough is still too wet, slowly add the last cup of flour by the tablespoon until the dough ball becomes smooth.
• Remove dough from mixer and place on a large, smooth floured surface. Do not knead the dough, just shape it into a ball and add a pinch of flour on it if it is still very sticky to the touch.
• Place the dough ball into a large bowl that has been coated in vegetable oil. Roll the dough ball around so that the oil coats it. Cover with plastic wrap.
• Place the bowl in a warm place and wait for 50 minutes to an hour as the dough doubles in size.
• Place the dough back on the floured surface and split it into two equal balls.
• Work one ball at a time to flatten and remove any excess air pockets. Once again, don't knead the dough, just push it down to flatten it.
• Shape into a rectangle about as wide as your 9 inch baking pan.
• Roll that up into a tube and tuck the ends under itself and place into a 9" x 5" inch loaf pan that has been greased with cooking spray.
• Repeat for second dough ball.
• Melt the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter and brush lightly over the two loaves.
• Place both loaves into an oven that has been pre-heated to 400 degrees.
• Bake for 30 minutes, rotating once halfway through baking.
• Remove from oven and once again lightly brush with remainder of melted butter. Let cool for 15 minutes while remaining in the pan.
• Remove from the baking pan and cool on a wire rack before slicing.

TRADITIONAL WHITE BREAD

Steps:

• In a large bowl, dissolve yeast and sugar in warm water. Stir in lard, salt and two cups of the flour. Stir in the remaining flour, 1/2 cup at a time, beating well after each addition. When the dough has pulled together, turn it out onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic, about 8 minutes.
• Lightly oil a large bowl, place the dough in the bowl and turn to coat with oil. Cover with a damp cloth and let rise in a warm place until doubled in volume, about 1 hour.
• Deflate the dough and turn it out onto a lightly floured surface. Divide the dough into two equal pieces and form into loaves. Place the loaves into two lightly greased 9x5 inch loaf pans. Cover the loaves with a damp cloth and let rise until doubled in volume, about 40 minutes.
• Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C).
• Bake at 375 degrees F (190 degrees C) for about 30 minutes or until the top is golden brown and the bottom of the loaf sounds hollow when tapped.