Classic White Bread Loaf Recipes

Steps:

• Sprinkle yeast over 1/2 cup water. Add 2 teaspoons honey. Whisk until yeast dissolves. Let stand until foamy, about 5 minutes. Transfer to the bowl of a mixer fitted with the paddle or dough-hook attachment. Add butter and remaining 1 3/4 cups water and 3 tablespoons honey. Whisk flour with salt; add 3 cups to yeast. Mix on low speed until smooth. Add remaining 4 cups flour, 1 cup at a time, mixing until dough comes away from sides of bowl and forms a ragged, slightly sticky ball. Butter a large bowl.
• Knead dough on a floured surface until smooth and elastic but still slightly tacky, about 5 minutes. Shape into a ball. Transfer to prepared bowl; cover with plastic wrap.
• Let dough stand in a warm place until it doubles in volume (it should not spring back when pressed), about 1 hour. Butter two 4 1/2-by-8 1/2-inch loaf pans. Punch down dough; divide in half.
• Shape 1 dough half into an 8 1/2-inch-long rectangle (about 1/2 inch thick). Fold long sides of dough in to middle, overlapping slightly. Press seam to seal. Transfer dough, seam side down, to pan. Repeat with remaining dough. Brush each loaf with butter, or dust with flour for a rustic look. Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Drape loaves with plastic. Let stand until dough rises about 1 inch above tops of pans, 45 minutes to 1 hour. Reduce oven temperature to 400 degrees. Bake, rotating pans after 20 minutes, until tops are golden brown, about 45 minutes. Transfer to wire racks. Let cool slightly; turn out loaves. Let cool completely before slicing.

Steps:

• Make the dough by tipping the flour, yeast and salt into a large bowl and making a well in the middle. Pour in most of the water and use your fingers or a wooden spoon to mix the flour and water together until combined to a slightly wet, pillowy, workable dough - add a splash more water if necessary. Tip the dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead for at least 10 mins until smooth and elastic. This can also be done in a tabletop mixer with a dough hook. Place the dough in a clean oiled bowl, cover with cling film and leave to rise until doubled in size.
• Heat oven to 220C/fan 200C/gas 7. Knock back the dough by tipping it back onto a floured surface and pushing the air out. Mould the dough into a rugby ball shape that will fit a 900g loaf tin and place in the tin. Cover with a clean tea towel and leave to prove for 30 mins. Dust the top of the loaf with a little more flour and slash the top with a sharp knife if you want. Bake the bread for 15 mins, then reduce the heat to 190C/fan 170C/gas 5 and continue to bake for 30 mins until the loaf sounds hollow when removed from the tin and tapped on the base. Leave the bread on a wire rack to cool completely. The loaf will stay fresh in an airtight container for 3 days or can be frozen for 1 month.

Steps:

• Add the flour, butter, yeast and salt to a large mixing bowl. Keep the salt separate from the yeast.
• Make a well in the centre and add half (225ml) of the water. Use either your fingers to mix in the flour or use a mixer to do it for you.
• Keep mixing and adding water until the dough comes together and leaves the sides of the bowl clean.
• Knead the dough for ten minutes until it is smooth and elastic.
• Place the dough into an oiled bowl to stop it from sticking. Clingfilm the top and allow to prove at room temperature (20c is ideal).
• After about an hour, the dough will have doubled in size and will be stretchy and elastic when pulled. Preheat the oven at 190c.
• Take the dough out and knead again for 3 to 4 minutes. This is referred to as 'knocking back'. Add your flavouring at this stage if you wish or simply sprinkle flour over the top after the second prove.
• Allow the bread to prove again for about 20 minutes before cooking until the top is golden and the bread sounds hollow when you tape the base.
• Leave the bread to stand for five minutes before serving.

Steps:

• In a large bowl, dissolve yeast and sugar in warm water. Stir in lard, salt and two cups of the flour. Stir in the remaining flour, 1/2 cup at a time, beating well after each addition. When the dough has pulled together, turn it out onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic, about 8 minutes.
• Lightly oil a large bowl, place the dough in the bowl and turn to coat with oil. Cover with a damp cloth and let rise in a warm place until doubled in volume, about 1 hour.
• Deflate the dough and turn it out onto a lightly floured surface. Divide the dough into two equal pieces and form into loaves. Place the loaves into two lightly greased 9x5 inch loaf pans. Cover the loaves with a damp cloth and let rise until doubled in volume, about 40 minutes.
• Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C).
• Bake at 375 degrees F (190 degrees C) for about 30 minutes or until the top is golden brown and the bottom of the loaf sounds hollow when tapped.

Steps:

• In a small bowl combine water and 1/4 cup of the warm milk. Sprinkle yeast and pinch of sugar over liquid and stir. Let sit until foamy, about 10 minute.
• Combine remaining milk, butter and 2 tbs sugar, salt and 2 cups flour in large bowl and mix until creamy. I mix everything by hand but you can use a mixer on med-low for about 1 minute.
• Add yeast mixture and one cup of flour and mix by hand or beat with mixer.
• Mix or beat in remaining flour 1/2 cup at a time until the dough pulls away then switch to kneading until all the flour is mixed in, until smooth and elastic.
• Transfer the dough to an oiled deep bowl and turn the dough once to coat it.
• Cover loosely with plastic wrap and let rise until doubled in bulk, about 1 1/2 hours depending on the temperature of your kitchen.
• Lightly grease two 9X5 loaf pans.
• Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured board and divide in half.
• Pat each half into a long rectangle.
• Fold one rectangle like a letter, overlapping the short sides into the middle. Press to flatten.
• Beginning at the narrow end, roll the dough into a log and roll the log until it is the same length as the loaf pan.
• Pinch the ends and along the seam to seal and place in loaf pan seam side down.
• Repeat folding with other half of dough.
• Cover loosely with plastic and let rise until dough is about 1 inch above pan about 1 hour.
• Bake in oven preheated to 375 degrees F until loaves are golden brown and pull away from the edge of the pans, about 40 minutes.
• Turn onto racks and let cool completely.

Steps:

• Place ingredients into your bread machine in the order suggested by your manufacturer.
• Operate machine according to manufacturer instructions.
• Recipe can be easily made on regular, normal, rapid, and delayed cycles.
• Make a 1-pound (small) loaf.

Steps:

• Pour warm milk into a bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook. Sprinkle yeast on top and let dissolve until a few small bubbles begin to a form, 10 to 15 minutes. Add beaten egg, sugar, vinegar, baking soda, salt, cayenne, flour, and butter.
• Knead on low speed until dough begins to come together. Increase speed slightly and knead about 3 minutes more. Use a spatula to scrape the sides clean and gather the dough into the center. Cover and let rise until doubled in volume, 1 1/2 to 2 hours.
• Butter a spatula and a loaf pan. Scrape the dough into the pan using the spatula. Smooth out the top to distribute dough evenly. Dust the top with flour and press gently to even out the dough. Let rise in pan for 30 minutes.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Use a sharp knife or razor to cut a deep slash lengthwise through the center of the loaf. You may need to go over it several times. Brush the top with most of the melted butter.
• Bake in the preheated oven until golden brown, about 30 minutes.
• Brush hot loaf with remaining butter. Let cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then turn it out onto a wire rack to cool for at least 1 hour before slicing.