Basic White Bread
A simple, sweet, white bread that is sure to satisfy those cravings and make your home smell amazing!
Ingredients
- 1 pkg active dry yeas or 2-1/4 teaspoons of bulk yeast
- 1/4 cup warm water
- 2 cups milk, scalded
- 2 Tbsp sugar
- 2 tsp salt
- 1 Tbsp shortening
- 5-3/4 cups flour see notes on flour
Instructions
- Soften yeast in warm water
- Combine hot milk, sugar, salt and shortening, allow to cool to lukwarm
- Combine 2 cups of flour with the milk mixture and beat well
- Add the yeast mixture and mix well
- Add 5 cups flour, gradually, while watching the dough. You don't want wet, tacky dough, you also don't want too much flour to make a dry dough.
- Knead dough till smooth (either with your hands for 8-10 minutes) or with a stand mixer for about 5 minutes)
- Lightly grease a bowl, roll the dough ball in the oil and then cover with a towel for the first rise. Depending on your climate, this can be from 45m to an 1.25 hour. You want the dough to double.
- Punch down the dough ball and place on a clean surface, divide dough in half, create tension in a ball shape, and let rest 10 minutes.
- Create the petal fold: grab the outside of the dough ball and press into the center, going all the way around the ball. Then jelly roll the dough to shape your loaf. Place into well greased loaf pans for the second rise. Dough will double in size again (depending on climate, 30 minutes to an hour).
- Preheat oven to 400˚
- Bake loaves in hot oven 35 minutes (placing foil loosely over loaves if they brown too quickly). Brush with butter and allow to cool 5 minutes before removing from loaf tins. You may need to run a knife around the pan to loosen the loaf.
Notes
- If you choose to use whole wheat flour, aim to use 4-1/2 cups, since whole wheat soaks up more moisture than AP or bread flour
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