Yeast Breads: Basic White Bread

Bread is my absolute favorite thing. From the way the dough feels on my hands to the gentle scent in the kitchen when it's baking to the simple taste of great bread on my tongue, there's nothing in the world as satisfying as a properly baked load of basic white bread. You can smother it in butter, toast it, or just eat it straight from the oven. It makes great sandwiches and can even be dried and turned into tasty bread crumbs. The possibilities are endless.


Thankfully, a great yeast bread is relatively simple to make. It sounds and even looks intimidating, and it even takes a few hours, but it couldn't be easier. Once you master a few basic techniques, you'll be whipping up your own bread in a heartbeat.


You can, of course use a bread maker. I myself have a bread maker that I use frequently. I don't typically bake in it because I don't like the shape, but I do like it for the dough it makes. So, if you have a bread maker, throw the ingredients in there, select the dough cycle, and pick up the recipe where indicated. If you don't have a bread maker, you'll have to do it the truly old fashioned way.


A note on yeast. I don't recommend using traditional yeast. You can, of course, but it makes the process a little fussy. You have to dissolve traditional yeast and wait for it to foam. This only takes about 10 minutes, but it's not worth it. You can buy a variety of other yeasts that don't need to be dissolved. Try bread machine yeast (even if you're not using a bread maker), quick rise, pizza, or instant yeast. All of these work the same as traditional yeast, but they don't need to be dissolved. For this reason, I skip the dissolving step.


Ingredients


1¼ tsp bread machine or comparable yeast
3 cups all purpose flour
1 tbsp. sugar
1 tsp table salt
3 tbsp. butter or margarine, softened
1 cup water, room temperature


Preparation


If you're not using a bread maker, place all ingredients into a large bowl and mix until combined. You should end up with a smooth ball. If your mix is a little dry, add water a tablespoon at a time until you have a soft, smooth ball. If it's a little wet, add flour, again just a little bit about a time.


Once you have a smooth ball of bread dough, you have to knead it. This is necessary to encourage the development of gluten, which will give the dough the elasticity it needs to rise properly. To knead, turn the dough out onto a floured surface. Pat it down into a rough circle. Fold the dough over itself, away from you. Place the heel of your hand on the dough and push down and away from you, rolling the dough even as you fold it. Give the dough a quarter turn and repeat. Continue this process for about 5 minutes. One of the reasons to use a bread maker is that it kneads the dough for you.


Once kneaded, place the dough into a lightly oiled bowl, cover with a slightly damp towel, and place it in a warm place to rise. I like to use the microwave, but you can place your dough on the counter, on top of the TV, or really anywhere. Let rise until truly doubled in size. This normally takes about an hour, but it may take longer depending on temperature and humidity. The bread maker does this step as well.


Here is where those using a bread maker should rejoin the club. The dough should be fully risen, so remove it from the bowl or bread maker and punch it down gently, removing all the excess air from the dough. Get it all or you'll end up with weird air bubbles in your finished loaf. Shape your loaf carefully, ensuring all edges are tucked under the bread and the top is smooth. If your dough has a rough top, the baked loaf will have a rough top, so take some time to baby the dough.


Prepare your bread pan. You can either rub it with a little oil (or use a nonstick spray) or line the pan with parchment paper. Don't use wax paper; it will burn. Gently place the dough in the pan, but don't squish it down. It will rise to fill the corners on its own. It doesn't need help.


Once again, gently cover it and place it in a warm place to rise. This second rise can take as little as 30 minutes or as long as 2 hours, so check the loaf every 30 minutes. It's ready to bake when the dough has risen at least an inch above the edges of the bread pan. Don't rush it or you'll end up with heavy bread.


Heat oven to 375°F. Brush the loaf with whatever wash you prefer. Water will result in a crispy crust while milk will give you a softer crust. I prefer an egg wash. Take one egg, beat it lightly, and mix it with a tablespoon of water and you have an egg wash. Whichever wash you prefer, use a pastry brush to brush the wash over all exposed edges of the loaf. Gently.


Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until loaf sounds hollow when tapped. Cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then remove from pan and cool completely on a wire rack. Wait at least 20 minutes to slice the bread. I know it's tempting to slice it right away, but wait 20 minutes. It will still be hot, but just more set and ready for slicing.


This recipe makes a single loaf. It can be easily doubled if you need a second. Store bread in an airtight container for up to 3 days.


A note on cutting bread. Use an electric knife. It will cut the bread without squishing it.