There is absolutely nothing better than homemade bread – making it, eating it, or having that wonderful scent spread throughout your house as you are baking it. This homemade white bread recipe it one of the very best – it has a sweetened taste that you and your family will love.
Those of you who make bread understand what a meaningful experience it is. For those of you who don’t make your own bread, once you try it you will be hooked forever. It’s really a cathartic experience – putting it together, kneading it, seeing it rise. It’s like a calmness settles over the world for a little while.
If you have a KitchenAid mixer or any other mixer with a dough hook, here is a great application for it. Although some who bake bread would rather knead it by hand, if you are in a hurry, let the dough hook do the work for you.
A draft-free place to let the dough rise is important. Some bakers use their oven, some use their microwave (don’t turn them on during the rising process, of course), some use an empty cupboard, etc. Dough rises the fastest if it is maintained at about 75 degrees while rising. You can turn on your oven at the lowest setting for 3 – 4 minutes, then turn it off a few minutes before putting the dough in to rise. You can boil some water in a container or two, then put the containers in with the rising dough (in the microwave or the oven) – the sealed space will help maintain the warm environment. Anything above 75 degrees will inhibit the yeast from working; anything under will take longer to rise.
Homemade White Bread Recipe
Ingredients for Homemade White Bread:
- 2 cups warm water (between around 110 degrees on a thermometer)
- 2/3 cup white sugar
- 2 packets dry yeast
- 1 ½ tsp. salt
- ¼ cup oil
- 6 cups flour
- Butter, melted
Directions for making Homemade White Bread:
Oil the bottoms and sides of two loaf pans (9x5) – metal pans work best.
In a large bowl, dissolve the sugar in the warm water, then stir in the yeast (the water has to be 110 degrees when you stir the yeast in, so make sure it’s a little warmer when you add the sugar, as the sugar will bring the temperature down). Let the bowl sit for 10 minutes. If the water gets a foam on the top, it means that your yeast has “proofed” (showing that it’s active and will make your bread rise).
Mix the salt and oil into the yeast. Mix in the flour 1 cup at a time. Knead the dough on a lightly floured surface until smooth or put it in a mixer with a bread hook and let it mix for about 5 minutes.
Place the dough in a well-oiled bowl and turn it over so that the dough has oil on top. Cover with a damp tea towel or plastic wrap (if using the wrap, just let it rest on the top of the dough, don’t seal it) and sit it in a draft-free place for about an hour or a little more until it has doubled.
After it has risen, put flour on your fist and punch the dough in the middle so that it deflates. Knead it by hand for just a minute more on a lightly floured surface, divide it in half and shape each half into a loaf (roll out the dough into a rectangle using a floured rolling pin then, starting at one of the narrow ends, roll it up like a jelly roll as tightly as possible and tuck each end under). Put the loaves in the prepared pans (tucked ends down) and brush melted butter on the top of each. Allow to rise for 30 – 45 minutes more in a draft-free place (but do not cover them).
Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Remove from the oven when done. Remove the loaves from the pans and brush the tops with melted butter. Allow to cool on a wire rack.
(from allrecipes.com)
Other delicious yeast bread recipes:
Homemade focaccia bread recipe – this is so good
Homemade oatmeal molasses bread recipe – makes some of the best toast ever
Easy whole wheat bread recipe – always turns out wonderfully
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