Julia Childs White Bread Recipes

Steps:

• Pour 1/2 cup of water into a bowl (preferably that of a stand mixer) and stir in the yeast and sugar. Let sit for 5 minutes, until foamy. Add the rest of the water and about half of the flour. Stir until well blended. Add the rest of the flour, the salt and butter and stir with the dough hook (or by hand) until well combined. Continue to knead (if using a dough hook, run it for about 8 minutes, poking dough down once in awhile) until it's smooth and elastic. If you used the dough hook, turn the dough out onto the countertop and knead a few times by hand to make sure it's evenly smooth. Shape the dough into a ball and put it back into the bowl. Cover with a tea towel and let it sit for 1 to 1 1/2 hours, until it's doubled in size. Butter two 4-x8-inch loaf pans. Punch the dough down and pat each piece into a rectangle that's about 9-x12-inch - or a bit bigger than a standard piece of paper. Starting at a short end, fold it in thirds, like a letter. Place seam side down in the loaf pans, tucking the ends in. Cover with the tea towel again and leave them for an hour, until they puff right up out of the pan. Preheat the oven to 375°F and put the rack in the middle of the oven. Bake for 30-35 minutes, until the loaves are honey brown. Immediately turn the loaves out of their pans and onto a rack to cool.

Steps:

• Pour 1/2 cup of the water into a bowl and mix with yeast and sugar til foamy.
• Let sit for 5 minutes until creamy.
• Put the yeast mixture, rest of the water and 3 1/2 cups of the flour into the mixer with the dough hook.
• Mix slowly until blended then add the rest of the flour.
• Increase speed and scrape down the sides til the dough comes together.
• (If it doesn't add a tbsp of flour at a time til it does.) Add salt and mix at medium speed for 10 minutes (or do half in mixer and half kneading) til dough is smooth and elastic.
• Back in mixer add butter 1 tbsp at a time (dough may come apart, but mixing will pull it back together).
• Turn dough out on lightly floured surface and shape it into a ball then place in a large buttered or oiled bowl.
• Turn dough so it is completely coated in the fat, then cover in plastic for 45 minutes to an hour, til it has doubled in size at room temperature.
• Butter 2 loaf pans.
• Deflate the dough, cut in half and turn out onto a lightly floured surface.
• Roll out into a 9 x 12-inch rectangle.
• With the short end facing you, fold the dough into thirds like a sheet of paper to go into an envelope, creating a roll.
• Pinch the seam closed, and pinch the ends enough so it will fit in the loaf pan.
• Drop in the loaf pan seam side down, and repeat.
• Cover the loaves with buttered plastic wrap and allow to rise again in a warm place (80°F) for 45 minutes, until they double in size.
• Preheat the oven to 375°F and put the rack in the center of the oven.
• Bake for 35-45 minutes til they are honey brown.
• Immediately turn out of pans onto a rack to cool.
• Once almost completely cool, they can be cut.
• Store in a brown paper bag for a day or two.
• Once cut, turn cut side down onto a cutting board and cover with a kitchen towel.