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Dessert & Baked Goods » Basic White Bread

Your PB&J sandwiches will be amazing with freshly-baked white bread. Susan Reid of King Arthur Flour shows basic bread-baking techniques such as blooming yeast and kneading dough. And her belt-and-suspenders approach to easily removing bread from the baking pan? Love it! But who knew that bread had a temperature to indicate perfect doneness? Susan, of course.

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Ingredients

Maked 1 loaf

1 cup + 2 tbsp (9 oz) warm water (keep extra on hand)
2½ tsp instant yeast
2 tbsp honey (or any sweetener)
3½ cups (17 oz) all-purpose flour (plus more for dusting work surface)
1½ tsp salt
¼ cup dry milk powder
2 tbsp unsalted butter, room temperature
non-stick cooking spray

Special Equipment

9” x 5” loaf pan
plastic wrap (or shower cap!)
parchment paper for lining pan
bowl scraper
dough whisk

How-to

In a medium-sized bowl add the yeast and water followed the honey and flour (it is helpful to reserve the last ½ cup of flour to add slowly while mixing, to get the correct consistency- it may not all be needed)
Finally, add the salt, milk powder, and butter before mixing (can be done in stand mixer, or mixed by hand). Mix until it forms a shaggy mass that begins to pull away from the sides of the bowl. If dough is too dry, add extra water, 1 tbsp at a time. If too wet, add the ½ cup of reserved flour, a little at a time
Knead 5-8 minutes by hand* on floured surface until dough is elastic and springs back to the touch
Transfer to a bowl coated with non-stick cooking spray. Cover with plastic and allow to rise 1-1½ hours until doubled in size
Roll dough into a ball, then pat into a rectangle, about 16” x 6” x 1”. Fold two ends into the middle, then fold the opposite ends into the middle, and pat into a 9” x 5” rectangle
Place seam-side-down in a lightly-greased, parchment paper-lined 9" x 5" loaf pan. Drape loosely with plastic wrap and let dough rise for 45-60 minutes or until it has risen about an inch over the top of the pan
Preheat oven to 375º
Remove plastic and bake 35-40 minutes, or until it reaches an internal temperature of 190º. Note: if the top of the bread is browning too quickly, top with a tent of aluminum foil during the last 10 minutes of baking
Remove bread from pan and allow to cool completely on a wire rack before slicing

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Comments (7)

Posted Wednesday, December 31, 2014, at 11:11 am by Craig in STL:

It says to knead by hand. Can I use my KitchenAid?
Posted Saturday, November 22, 2014, at 10:01 pm by Shirley:

Wow I made this today was one of the best and easy recipe for bread, But I did the old way and used fresh yeast it was so good just like the old days. Thanks
Posted Wednesday, July 11, 2012, at 2:08 pm by King Arthur Flour:

This may be a good time to call and chat with one of our Bakers at 802-649-3717. We're glad to problem solve with you so you'll be successful with yeast breads. Call us between 8 AM and 9 PM weekdays and 9 AM to 5 PM on weekends. Irene @ KAF
Posted Tuesday, July 3, 2012, at 10:39 am by lad:

That,s Ok. It gives me a general idea of bakng some bread as beginners like me.
Posted Tuesday, July 3, 2012, at 8:20 am by lad:

I foolowed the procedure but my bread did not rise, What 's wrong?
Posted Wednesday, December 28, 2011, at 11:07 am by King Arthur Flour:

There may be many reasons this is happening - type of yeast used, water or liquid temperature, or even the consistency of the dough. We welcome your call so we can problem solve together - call our Baker's Hotline at 802-649-3717! Irene @ KAF
Posted Tuesday, December 27, 2011, at 10:26 pm by Skippy:

After I enter the bread into the oven it will not rise, what's wrong

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Basic White Bread