Hughs White Bread Recipes

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.

AMISH WHITE BREAD

Steps:

• In a large bowl, dissolve the sugar in warm water, and then stir in yeast. Allow to proof until yeast resembles a creamy foam.
• Mix salt and oil into the yeast. Mix in flour one cup at a time. Knead dough on a lightly floured surface until smooth. Place in a well oiled bowl, and turn dough to coat. Cover with a damp cloth. Allow to rise until doubled in bulk, about 1 hour.
• Punch dough down. Knead for a few minutes, and divide in half. Shape into loaves, and place into two well oiled 9x5 inch loaf pans. Allow to rise for 30 minutes, or until dough has risen 1 inch above pans.
• Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 30 minutes.

PERFECT WHITE BREAD

Steps:

• In a small saucepan, heat milk until it bubbles. Remove from heat and add the sugar, salt and shortening. Cool to lukewarm. While milk mixture is cooling, dissolve yeast in warm water and let stand until creamy.
• Combine cooled milk mixture with yeast and water in a large mixing bowl. Stir in 2 cups of the flour, then add the remaining flour, 1/2 cup at a time, to make a moderately stiff dough. Knead on a lightly floured surface for 8 to 10 minutes, or until smooth and elastic. Place the dough in a lightly oiled bowl and turn to coat the dough. Cover the bowl with a damp towel and let rise in a warm place until the dough has doubled in volume (about 1 1/4 hours).
• Lightly grease two 9x5 inch loaf pans. Punch down the dough and turn it out onto a lightly floured surface. Shape into 2 balls, cover and let rest 10 minutes. Shape dough into 2 loaves and place in pans; let rise until doubled (about 1 hour). Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
• Bake in the preheated oven for 35 minutes or until the top is golden and the loaf sounds hollow when tapped on the bottom.

TRADITIONAL WHITE BREAD

Steps:

• In a large bowl, dissolve yeast and sugar in warm water. Stir in lard, salt and two cups of the flour. Stir in the remaining flour, 1/2 cup at a time, beating well after each addition. When the dough has pulled together, turn it out onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic, about 8 minutes.
• Lightly oil a large bowl, place the dough in the bowl and turn to coat with oil. Cover with a damp cloth and let rise in a warm place until doubled in volume, about 1 hour.
• Deflate the dough and turn it out onto a lightly floured surface. Divide the dough into two equal pieces and form into loaves. Place the loaves into two lightly greased 9x5 inch loaf pans. Cover the loaves with a damp cloth and let rise until doubled in volume, about 40 minutes.
• Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C).
• Bake at 375 degrees F (190 degrees C) for about 30 minutes or until the top is golden brown and the bottom of the loaf sounds hollow when tapped.