Update: October, 2013 – I’ve been making this bread since June. Absolutely love it. I will never buy bread again, if I can help it. I use this same recipe for making sandwich bread, dinner rolls, bread sticks and even hotdog and hamburger buns.
It makes two loaves of a slightly-dense and lovely white sandwich bread that’s a little on the sweet side. Like most bread without preservatives, it won’t survive long on the counter top, but it freezes excellently for several months, so do your baking on the weekend, and freeze the second loaf for midweek.
This recipe is the original I began with, and if you plan to convert it to overnight rise or use a bread machine, stick with the active dry yeast. If you want, however, you can opt to use quick-rise (instant yeast). The texture is virtually identical, so unless you like that slow-fridge-rise taste, there’s no real reason not to use quick-rise in the place of the active dry yeast. Just use warmer water, and replace the hour rise with a 10 minute rest under a tea towel.
To convert this recipe to quick-rise, replace yeast with instant yeast, increase the water temperature to approximately 120F, and let the dough rest for 10 minutes, covered, on the counter instead of doing first rise in a greased bowl.Classic White Bread
Prep time
1 hour, 45 minutes
Cook time
30 minutes
Total time
2 hours, 15 minutes
Allergy
Wheat
Dietary
Vegan
Meal type
Bread
Misc
Freezable
Ingredients
Note
Directions
Step 1.
Dissolve the sugar in the water and stir in the yeast. Proof the yeast for about 15 minutes, until foamy on top. If it doesn't get foamy, stop! Check your water temperature and your yeast for viability, and start over.
Step 2.
Add the oil and salt, and one cup of flour at a time. Once dough pulls away from the side of the bowl, kneed on a floured surface until smooth and slightly sticky, about 8 minutes.
Step 3.
Allow to rise in a bowl that's lightly coated with oil until doubled, about 1 hour. Punch down, turn out, and divide in halves. Kneed and roll each piece into a loaf, press into a lightly-greased 9x5 pan, cover, and allow to rise another 30 minutes or until the loaf is about 1" above the sides of the pan.
Step 4.
Bake the loaves at 350F for approximately 30 minutes. After removing the loaves from the oven, brush tops with margarine or butter for a softer crust. Allow to cool in the pans halfway, then remove and let stand under a dishtowel until fully cooled.
Step 5.
Wrap in plastic to preserve softness on the counter for 3-4 days. Freeze loaves individually for convenience and freshness.
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