The smell of fresh bread baking. Just close your eyes and imagine where that smell takes you. Maybe it is nostalgic, or maybe it takes you back to a job that you loved, or that guy you went on the horrible blind date with that one time, or Grandma’s house growing up. It is a beautiful, wonderful, amazing smell, isn’t it? I love the smell of fresh bread baking and this white bread does not disappoint in the amazing aroma department!
Hello beautiful, wonderful, amazing smells that are about to swirl through my home! 🙂
A fresh bread baking situation going on in my house means this Momma is so on point that given day. On point like doing a weeks worth of crap all in one day and possibly running around like a mad woman trying to understand why I all of a sudden have a million ounces of energy running through my body to do everything I’ve been procrastinating for weeks. You have those days too, right? Or did someone just spike my coffee?
Spiked coffee or not I usually bake this bread on the same day I make a pot of creamy tomato soup. Do you see where I’m going here? Yes, grilled cheese sandwiches. Who doesn’t love a grilled cheese sandwich on The Best White Bread you have EVER had dipped in creamy, cheesy, delicious homemade tomato soup? My goodness, if that isn’t food heaven I don’t know what is!
Baking Tips for The Best White Bread
- Take extra precaution with the temperature of your milk. Too hot will kill the yeast, and too cold will not activate it! A nice lukewarm is where you want to be.
- Room temperatures do cause breads to rise at different speeds. In the summer I may get a really quick and puffy rise, while in the winter my dough may not be as quick to rise. If you feel like you aren’t getting the rise you should be, preheat your oven to the lowest temperature option, then turn your oven off. Leave some of the heat out, then place your dough bowl in the oven to rise. This works like a charm every time!
- Make sure you cover your dough while it is rising or a hard crust will form on the outside of the dough. I always use a warm, wet paper towel and that works perfectly. DO NOT however leave it on there for hours on end to go run a million errands because you will likely come back to a big ol’ dough ball covered in paper towel that you cannot get off. Can you tell I’ve experienced this first hand?
- I always use bread flour when baking breads. Give it a try, you will not be disappointed with the results!
This recipe first appeared here on NYT Cooking. Thank you for the wonderful recipe!
The Best White Bread
By Published: September 14, 2016
- Yield: 2 loaves (8+ Servings)
- Prep: 10 mins
- Cook: 30 mins
- Ready In: 3 hrs 55 mins
*This white bread recipe is simply The Best White Bread I have ever had! I have shared this recipe time and time again with friends …
Ingredients
- 2 and 1/4 tsp active dry yeast
- 1 and 1/2 cups lukewarm milk
- 1/3 cup granulated sugar
- 1 Tablespoon kosher salt
- 2 eggs
- 3 Tablespoons melted butter plus more for greasing and baking
- 4-5 cups bread flour
Instructions
- Heat 1 and 1/2 cups milk to lukewarm/warm temperature. Add 1/4 cup of warm milk to the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with the dough hook. Add active dry yeast to bowl and allow to bloom for about 5 minutes.
- Add the remaining warm milk, the sugar, salt, eggs, melted butter, and flour. Add flour in 1 cup increments until dough has formed a ball, is soft, and only slightly sticky. If the dough sticks to your fingers something fierce, add more flour! You may have to finish mixing with your hands to get all the pieces at the bottom of the bowl. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic, about 5-7 minutes.
- Grease a mixing bowl generously with butter and place dough ball inside bowl. Cover dough with a warm towel or plastic wrap. Place in a warm space, and allow to rise 1 and 1/2 to 2 hours. Dough should double in size.
- When dough has doubled, punch down or leave the air out, turn out onto a lightly floured surface and knead again for a few minutes. Return to greased bowl, cover again, and rise for another 30 minutes.
- Punch down dough again. Divide dough in half. Form two loaves and place each loaf in a generously greased loaf pan. Brush top of loaves with a generous amount of melted butter. Cover and allow to rise another 45 minutes.
- Heat oven to 400 degrees. Bake bread for 10 minutes, then reduce heat to 350 degree and bake for an additional 20-30 minutes or until loaves sound hollow when tapped.
Can you make this recipe without a stand mixer?
It would require a little more elbow grease but I’m sure you could do it without a mixer!