Description
A simple recipe for homemade bread that’s perfect for sandwiches or to enjoy with butter.
Ingredients
Scale
- 5½ cups all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled, divided)
- ¼ cup nonfat dry milk
- 3 tbsp granulated sugar
- 3 tbsp unsalted butter (softened to room temp)
- 2¼ tsp active dry yeast
- 2 tsp kosher salt
- 2 cups warm water (about 115°F)
- 2 tbsp melted butter (for finishing, optional but recommended)
Instructions
- Add 2 cups of the flour, dry milk, sugar, butter, yeast, and salt to the body of a stand mixer. With the hook attachment, mix it around just to combine for a few turns.
- Add the water and mix to combine.
- On slow speed, begin to add the flour a little at a time until you come to 5 cups of flour. Place the mixer on medium-high speed, and the dough should clean the sides of the bowl after a couple of minutes. If it doesn’t, add a little more flour at a time until it does, up to ½ cup more.
- Continue to mix/knead the dough on medium-high speed for 10 minutes. The dough will be smooth and elastic.
- Spray the dough with a little cooking spray and roll it around in the bowl, so it is lightly coated. Cover with plastic wrap and let it rise in a warm place in your house for about 1 hour.
- Take off the plastic wrap and punch the dough down in the bowl to release the air bubbles.
- Lightly flour a clean work surface. Knead the dough a few times by hand to get any additional air bubbles out, about 1 minute.
- Spray two 9×5 loaf pans with cooking spray.
- Divide the dough into two even pieces. With your hands, form them into a log. Place each log into a prepared baking pan.
- No need to cover the dough again. Let them rise until doubled in size, about 30-45 minutes.
- While they are doing the second rise, preheat the oven to 400°F.
- Once doubled, make a slit down the center of the bread. Place the loaves into the oven and immediately lower the temperature of the oven to 350°F. Bake for 30-35 minutes until golden brown.
- Remove from the oven and immediately brush the bread with the melted butter. Let cool in the pan for 5 minutes.
- Take out of the pans and cool on a wire rack completely before slicing.
Notes
- This bread can be customized with herbs or spices for added flavor.
- Store in an airtight container to keep it fresh.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 35 minutes
- Category: Bread
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice
- Calories: 150
- Sugar: 1g
- Sodium: 200mg
- Fat: 3g
- Saturated Fat: 1g
- Unsaturated Fat: 2g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 27g
- Fiber: 1g
- Protein: 4g
- Cholesterol: 5mg