Homemade Sandwich Bread

Homemade Sandwich Bread photo by Helena Gifford Ingredients 3 cups all-purpose flour ½ cup milk ½ to ⅔ cup hot water 4 tablespoons of melted butter or vegetable oil 2 tablespoons granulated sugar 1 ¼ teaspoons salt 1 packet active dry yeast dissolved in 1 tablespoon warm (95-115°F) water or 2 teaspoons instant yeast Recipe Homemade Sandwich Bread In a large bowl, combine all of the ingredients and stir until the dough stops sticking to the sides of the bowl. Transfer the dough to a lightly greased surface, oil your hands, and knead the dough for six to eight minutes or until it becomes smooth and supple. People have different ways of kneading, but I repeatedly fold the dough in half and turn it 90 degrees before the next fold. You should be stretching the dough, not tearing it. By kneading the dough, you are forming gluten and making it nice and elastic. You’ll know when the dough is done if it quickly returns to its original shape when you stretch it out a little bit. Or you can just knead it until your arms get tired. Transfer the dough to a lightly greased bowl, cover the bowl with a lightly greased plastic wrap, and allow the dough to rise until puffy but not necessarily doubled in size. It should take about one to two hours, depending on the warmth of your kitchen. If your kitchen is cold (less than 70°F), you can let the dough rise in an oven with the light on instead. Gently deflate the dough and transfer it to a lightly oiled surface. Gently shape the dough into an 8″ x 10″ rectangle. Then roll the rectangular dough into an 8-inch-long log. Place the log seam-side down in a lightly greased 8½” x 4½” loaf pan, cover the pan loosely with lightly greased plastic wrap, and allow the bread to rise for about 60 minutes until it’s domed about 1 inch above the pan’s edge. If you press your finger into the dough, it should leave a mark that rebounds slowly. Towards the end of the rise, preheat your oven to 350°F. Bake the bread for 30 to 35 minutes, until it’s light golden brown. If you like, you can brush the top with a bit of melted butter five minutes before it’s done to make the bread shinier and to add a bit of extra flavor. At the end of the time, test it for readiness by removing it from the pan and thumping it on the bottom (it should sound hollow), or by measuring its interior temperature with a digital thermometer (it should register 190°F at the center of the loaf). Remove the bread from the oven and cool it on a rack before slicing. If you slice into it while still hot, you will hurt the bread’s texture and flavor (though I’m never patient enough to let it cool so I won’t blame you for breaking the rules as well). Store the bread in a plastic bag at room temperature for several days; freeze for longer storage. Tip 1: In step 4, you can sprinkle a couple spoonfuls of cinnamon and ¼ cup raisins on the rectangle of dough before rolling it up for cinnamon raisin bread. Tip 2: You can chop up some dried rosemary or other herbs and add them to the dough in Homemade Sandwich Bread step 1 for a nice herby bread. Tip 3: If you don’t have a loaf pan, you can try shaping it into a baguette shape or a circular shape in step 4 and bake it on a sheet tray. You could also try baking it in a Dutch oven. Tip 4: Experiment! Bread is never an exact science and ratios of water and flour can change depending on the humidity. If you find the dough to be too sticky to work with, add more flour. If the dough is too dry and isn’t coming together or is too hard to knead, add more water. Tip 5: It’s normal to form an emotional attachment to your loaf of bread. After all, you’ve spent several hours helping it rise and grow. Some great names for your new bread baby are David Dough-y, Yeasty Boy, William Butler Yeast, or Lizz-dough. Get creative!.

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