Family Style White Bread
This recipe is from the series My Great Recipes. First bread recipe I ever tried.
This recipe is from the series My Great Recipes. First bread recipe I ever tried.
- Carbohydrate 78.8736 g
- Cholesterol 0 mg
- Fat 28.1956 g
- Fiber 1.59 g
- Protein 0.657 g
- Saturated Fat 1.88188 g
- Serving Size 1 1 Loave (464g)
- Sodium 13.305 mg
- Sugar 77.2836 g
- Trans Fat 1.2404 g
- Calories 553 calories
Step-by-step
- Measure yeast, 2 cups of the flour, sugar, salt and oil into large mixing bowl, blending well. Stir in hot water and mix with spoon until mixture is smooth and satiny.
- Slowly add 3 cups more flour, mixing til dough pulls away from sides of bowl. Cover. Let rest for 10 minutes.
- Turn dough onto lightly floured surface and knead until smooth and satiny.
- Place dough in greased bowl. Cover with plastic wrap, let rise in warm draft free place for about 1 1/2 hours until dough doubles in side.
- Punch dough down. Divide dough into 2 parts. Shape each into a loaf and place into 2 greased bread pans. Let rise again for about 1 1/2 hours until doubled.
- Bake at 375F for 40-45 minutes or til loaves sound like they are hollow when tapped and are golden in color.
- Remove from pans right away and brush with melted butter.
- (For Raisin Bread-Stir in 1 to 1 1/2 cups raisins before shaping into loaves.).
- (For Cinnamon Loaf-To shape, roll dough out to a 14x17 inch rectangle. Sprinkle with mixture of 2 Tbsp sugar, 2 tsp cinnamon. Roll up tightly to make loaf. Let rise and bake as for plain loaf.
Adding water that exceeds 130 degrees Fahrenheit kills active dry yeast instantly, ruining dough before fermentation even starts. Accurate liquid temperature matters more than exact measuring when working with dry yeast varieties. Utilizing a digital thermometer prevents accidental scalding and ensures the microorganisms remain viable for the rise. Mixing the initial portion of flour directly with sugar, salt, oil, and yeast creates a batter that develops gluten rapidly without immediate heavy kneading.
Standard metal loaf pans conduct heat efficiently and produce a reliably crisp crust, whereas glass or ceramic bakeware requires lowering the oven temperature by 25 degrees to prevent scorching. Greasing the interior thoroughly with neutral shortening or butter prevents the baked loaves from sticking upon removal. Turning the baked bread out of the pans immediately upon removal from the oven stops residual steam from softening the bottom crust on the cooling rack.
Managing the ten-minute rest period allows the protein strands to relax, making subsequent hand kneading significantly easier on a lightly floured board. Working the dough until it feels smooth and satiny indicates that gluten networks have aligned properly to trap expanding gases. Placing the shaping stage within a draft-free enclosure helps maintain the steady ambient warmth required for the primary and secondary rises to reach volume successfully.
Assessing doneness relies on auditory feedback rather than a timer alone, specifically listening for a hollow thump when tapping the bottom of the browned loaf. Brushing the hot crust with melted butter right out of the oven softens the outer barrier as the bread cools down. Storing fully cooled loaves in paper bags preserves the crust texture better than airtight plastic, which softens the exterior prematurely.
