Country White Bread

If you follow my blog, you might have noticed that I’ve been experimenting with lots of bread recipes in the past few months.  I found this one at Pennies & Pancakes and thought it looked wonderful.   If you haven’t made homemade bread before, there’s an extensive tutorial for this recipe, complete with detailed instructions and step-by-step photos.  I halved the recipe and baked it in two 8×3 loaf pans the first time I made it, but I’ve also baked it in a 9×5 pan.  The photos are from the 8×3, so they look small, but I used the larger loaf when I made bananas foster french toast.  I was really pleased with this recipe and will definitely continue to use it for a white sandwich bread.  I would like to try substituting half the flour with whole wheat flour and maybe adding honey (I’ll update you as soon as I do!).

Country White Bread (yield 1 9×5 loaf, 2 8×3 loaves)

• 1 1/2 cup lukewarm water
• 2 Tbsp sugar
• 2 1/4 tsp active dry yeast
• 2 Tbsp + 2 tsp oil
• 3 – 3 1/2 cups flour
• 1/2 Tbsp salt

1. Dissolve sugar and yeast in water and let set for 10 minutes.
2. Add the oil, then 3 cups of flour, mix it a little, then add the salt.
3. Mix thoroughly and then knead until dough is smooth, elastic, and a tad sticky (6-10 minutes).  You can do this by hand or in a stand mixer with dough hook.
4. Cover the bowl with a dishtowel and let rise until doubled.  I placed mine in a warm oven with a bowl of water on the bottom rack and let it rise for about 1 hour.
5. Punch dough down and knead for another minute or so.  Divide it in half and form each half into a loaf.
6. Cover with a dishtowel and let it rise until the dough is about 1-2 inches above the top of the pan (about an hour for me).
7. Bake at 375 for 25 minutes.  Remove from pans and allow to cool on a wire rack.