Home-Made White Sandwich Bread
Ingredients
- 1 tbs. active dry yeast
- 1 tbs. granulated sugar
- 2 1/2 cups warm water
- 6 cups all purpose flour
- 2 tsp. salt
- 1/4 cup (half stick) butter, softened
Instructions
In a large bowl, or the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook, combine the sugar and yeast. Add 1/2 cup of the warm water (reserving the remaining two cups), let it sit for a full five minutes until frothy.Add half the flour and the remaining water to the yeast and mix until combined. Add the remaining flour, salt and butter. Mix well with a dough hook or by hand. In the stand mixer, it should be mixed smooth after about 7-8 minutes.The dough should be tacky but smooth. Remove from the bowl and turn out on the counter to knead with your hands for a minute or two. Shape into a ball and return to the bowl. Cover with a tea towel and let it rise for about an hour and a half, until doubled in size.Meanwhile, butter two loaf pans. Once the dough has doubled in size, punch it down, remove from the bowl and turn out onto the counter to knead again for a minute or two. Divide the dough into two, evenly. Pat each half into a rectangle about the size of a sheet of paper. Then fold it into third like a letter, it should now be about the size of the loaf pan. Put it into the loaf pan, seam side down. Set the loaf pans aside, cover with a tea towel and let it rise for another hour, until doubled in size, above the sides of the pan.Pre-heat an oven to 375 degrees and bake the loaves for 20-30 minutes until golden brown. Remove immediately from the pans and allow to cool on a wire rack.
Details
Prep time: Cook time: Total time: Yield: 2 loaves