Description
Freshly baked White Bread brings warmth and comfort straight from your kitchen. Home bakers can craft this simple loaf with basic ingredients, creating a golden-brown masterpiece that perfectly complements any meal.
Ingredients
Scale
Main Ingredients:
- 3 cups (360 g) all-purpose flour (or bread flour)
- 1 cup (240 ml) warm water (about 110°F/45°C)
Leavening Agent:
- 2 ¼ teaspoons (1 packet) active dry yeast
Flavor Enhancers and Binding Ingredients:
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter (softened) or vegetable oil
- 1 teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Awaken the yeast by combining warm water, yeast, and sugar in a spacious mixing vessel. Allow the mixture to rest and become luxuriously frothy, signaling the yeast’s vibrant activity.
- Incorporate softened butter and salt into the activated yeast mixture. Gradually fold in flour, blending thoroughly until a cohesive, supple dough emerges.
- Transfer the dough onto a lightly dusted work surface. Massage and stretch the dough with rhythmic movements, developing its gluten structure until smooth and resilient. Professional bakers recommend kneading for approximately 8-10 minutes by hand or 5-6 minutes using a stand mixer.
- Nestle the dough into a lightly greased bowl, ensuring complete surface coverage. Drape with a damp cloth, creating a nurturing environment for fermentation. Position in a tranquil, warm location and allow the dough to expand majestically, roughly doubling in volume within 1-1.5 hours.
- Gently deflate the risen dough with careful pressing. Sculpt into a classic loaf shape and tenderly position within a prepared baking vessel. Shield and permit a secondary rise until the dough crests just above the pan’s rim.
- Calibrate the oven temperature to 375F (190C), preparing a welcoming environment for transformation.
- Slide the prepared loaf into the heated oven. Bake until the surface achieves a golden, radiant complexion and produces a hollow percussion when gently tapped.
- Carefully extract the bread from its baking sanctuary. Allow complete cooling on a wire rack, permitting internal steam to distribute evenly before slicing and savoring.
Notes
- Check yeast freshness by ensuring it creates a foamy, bubbly texture when mixed with warm water and sugar, which signals active fermentation.
- Use precise water temperature between 100-110°F to activate yeast without killing it, preventing dense or flat bread.
- Consider substituting some all-purpose flour with whole wheat or alternative flours for added nutrition and unique texture variations.
- Enhance bread’s softness by brushing melted butter on top immediately after baking, creating a tender golden crust.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: Snacks, Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 12
- Calories: 150
- Sugar: 1.5 g
- Sodium: 120 mg
- Fat: 3 g
- Saturated Fat: 1.5 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 1.5 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 28 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 4 g
- Cholesterol: 5 mg