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Classic White Bread
Bake a beautiful pair of tall, golden loaves right in your own kitchen. Classic white bread offers a tender crumb and a soft crust that makes it a versatile staple for any household. The simple yeast dough comes together easily and rises into a perfectly sliceable shape. Use these homemade loaves to build hearty sandwiches for lunch or toast thick slices for a comforting breakfast. The rich addition of milk and butter gives the bread a subtle sweetness and a satisfying, pillowy texture.
Ingredients
- ½ cup warm water (105° to 115°F)
- 2 packages active dry yeast
- 1 teaspoon plus ¼ cup sugar
- 2 ¼ cups milk, heated to warm (105° to 115°F)
- 4 tablespoons butter or margarine, softened
- 1 tablespoon salt about 7½ cups all-purpose or bread flour
Instructions
- 1Mix the warm water, yeast, and one teaspoon of sugar in a large bowl until dissolved. Allow the mixture to sit for about five minutes until it becomes foamy.
- 2Stir the warm milk, softened butter, remaining quarter cup of sugar, salt, and four cups of flour into the yeast mixture. Beat the ingredients thoroughly with a wooden spoon, then gradually mix in three more cups of flour to form a soft dough.
- 3Transfer the dough to a floured work surface and knead it for about eight minutes until it feels smooth and elastic. Incorporate just enough of the remaining half cup of flour to prevent the dough from sticking to your hands and the counter.
- 4Form the kneaded dough into a ball and place it inside a large greased bowl, turning it once to coat the top with oil. Cover the bowl loosely with greased plastic wrap and leave it in a warm spot between 80 and 85 degrees Fahrenheit for about one hour until it doubles in size.
- 5Coat two metal loaf pans measuring 9 by 5 inches with grease. Gently punch down the risen dough, move it to a lightly floured surface, and divide it into two equal pieces. Press or roll each half into a rectangle measuring roughly 12 by 7 inches.
- 6Roll each dough rectangle tightly starting from one of the shorter sides. Pinch the final seam and the ends firmly together to seal the roll, then place each shaped loaf seam side down into the prepared pans.
- 7Drape greased plastic wrap loosely over the loaf pans. Let the dough rise in a warm area for about one hour until the loaves have nearly doubled in size again.
- 8Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit while the dough finishes rising. Bake the bread for 30 to 35 minutes until the crust turns golden brown and the bottom sounds hollow when tapped. Take the baked loaves out of the pans immediately and let them cool completely on wire racks.