Homemade Bread Recipe 445

HOMEMADE BREAD

Steps:

• Prepare the dough: In a large bowl or stand mixer add the yeast, water and a pinch of the sugar or honey. Allow to rest for 5-10 minutes until foaming and bubbly. (This is called "proofing" the yeast, to make sure it is active. If it doesn't foam, the yeast is no good, and you need to start over with fresh yeast).
• Add remaining sugar or honey, salt, oil, and 3 cups of flour. Mix to combine.
• Add another cup of flour and mix to combine. With the mixer running add more flour, ½ cup at a time, until the dough begins to pull away from the sides of the bowl. The dough should be smooth and elastic, and slightly stick to a clean finger, but not be overly sticky. Add a little more flour, if needed.
• Knead the dough: Mix the dough for 4-5 minutes on medium speed (or knead with your hands on a lightly floured surface, for 5-8 minutes).
• First Rise: Grease a large bowl with oil or cooking spray and place the dough inside, turning to coat. Cover with a dish towel or plastic wrap and allow to rise in a warm place* until doubled in size, about 1 1/2 hours.
• Spray two 9x5'' bread pans generously with cooking spray on all sides. (I also like to line the bottom of the pans with a small piece of parchment or wax paper, but this is optional.)
• Punch the dough down well to remove air bubbles. Divide into two equal portions. Shape each ball into long logs and place into greased loaf pans.
• Second rise: Spray two pieces of plastic wrap with cooking spray and lay them gently over the pans. Allow dough to rise again for about 45 minutes to one hour, or until risen about 1 inch above the loaf pans. Gently removing covering.
• Bake: Preheat oven to 350 F. Bake bread for about 30-33 minutes, or until golden brown on top. Give the top of a loaf a gentle tap; it should sound hollow.
• Invert the loaves onto a wire cooling rack. Brush the tops with butter and allow to cool for at least 10 minutes before slicing.
• Once cool, store in an airtight container or bag for 2-3 days at room temperature, or up to 5 days in the refrigerator.

GRANDMA'S PERFECT HOMEMADE BREAD

Steps:

• In a stand mixer add the warm water, sugar, salt and yeast. Let the yeast proof until it bubbles for about 5 minutes. Using the dough hook start adding the flour one cup at a time until the dough combines and forms a soft dough.
• On a floured surface knead the dough until smooth and elastic and form a ball. Add the oil to the large bowl and add the dough to the bowl and cover. Let rise until it has doubled 1- 1 1/2 hours.
• Grease and flour 2 9x5 inch pans. Punch the dough to release the air. Lay the dough onto a flat surface and cut into two loaves. Roll each loaf up and place into the loaf pans. Let rise until it doubles another 1-1 1/2 hours.
• Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 30-35 minutes or until golden brown on the tops. Remove from the oven and let cool for 10 minutes before slicing.

THE SOFTEST, FLUFFIEST HOMEMADE WHITE BREAD YOU CAN MAKE

Steps:

• In your mixing bowl, add the packets of yeast and a 1/2 cup of warm water. Stir to mix. Let the yeast activate in the water for 5 minutes. Add the other 2-1/2 cups of warm water along with the 3 tablespoons of room temperature butter, plus the sugar and salt.
• Add first 4 cups of flour to the mixing bowl and stir ingredients together. You can mix by hand, but I prefer to use a stand mixer with a dough hook attachment.
• Mix on a low speed for 10 minutes while slowly adding the next 3 cups of flour. The dough ball should start to take shape and be 'tacky' to the touch, but not wet and sticky. It should 'clean' the sides of the bowl by itself, but feel free to scrape down excess dough if necessary. I find I may not even need to add the entire 7th cup of flour. But if the dough is still too wet, slowly add the last cup of flour by the tablespoon until the dough ball becomes smooth.
• Remove dough from mixer and place on a large, smooth floured surface. Do not knead the dough, just shape it into a ball and add a pinch of flour on it if it is still very sticky to the touch.
• Place the dough ball into a large bowl that has been coated in vegetable oil. Roll the dough ball around so that the oil coats it. Cover with plastic wrap.
• Place the bowl in a warm place and wait for 50 minutes to an hour as the dough doubles in size.
• Place the dough back on the floured surface and split it into two equal balls.
• Work one ball at a time to flatten and remove any excess air pockets. Once again, don't knead the dough, just push it down to flatten it.
• Shape into a rectangle about as wide as your 9 inch baking pan.
• Roll that up into a tube and tuck the ends under itself and place into a 9" x 5" inch loaf pan that has been greased with cooking spray.
• Repeat for second dough ball.
• Melt the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter and brush lightly over the two loaves.
• Place both loaves into an oven that has been pre-heated to 400 degrees.
• Bake for 30 minutes, rotating once halfway through baking.
• Remove from oven and once again lightly brush with remainder of melted butter. Let cool for 15 minutes while remaining in the pan.
• Remove from the baking pan and cool on a wire rack before slicing.