Basic Bread

Name: Basic Bread
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 40 min
Total time: 60 min
Yield: 2
Ingredients: 2 1/4 teaspoon active dry yeast; 2 tablespoons sugar; 2 1/4 cup milk; 5 1/2-6 cups all-purpose flour; 1 tablespoon salt; 3 tablespoons butter melted

by Becky at The Bake Dept

2 Pieces

1 hr

Nothing basic about this bread! An impeccable, superb white bread that is textbook flawless.

Yeah, no, there is nothing basic about this quote unquote basic bread. Actually, it’s utterly absurd to call it “basic.”

Just a handful of basic ingredients -- you'd never guess they'd turn into something so fabulous!

Simple shaping of the dough before its second rise makes for a fantastic crumb.

It bakes up beautifully golden!

Five-star. Champion. Award-winning. First-rate. Outstanding…I mean, I dunno how best to describe this here darn bread. Nothing seems quite right to fully explain, give grasp, elaborate on how deliciously majestic it truly is.

Around here, the very first loaf um, vanished in less than twenty four hours. That’s probably bad and I probably shouldn’t readily admit that especially considering it’s only two of us, but we could not, could not keep our hands off of it.

Basic Bread

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Recipe details

Yield 2 Pieces
Time spent: Prep time: 20 Minutes Cook time: 40 Minutes Total time: 1 hr

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Instructions

Warm the milk in the microwave until it has reached 100-110° F (38-43° C). While the milk is warming, add the active dry yeast and sugar to the bowl of a mixer.
Pour the warmed milk into the mixer bowl and let the yeast activate for about 5-10 minutes. Once the yeast is foamy, place the bread hook attachment on a stand mixer.
Add the salt to 5 cups of all-purpose flour in a bowl and mix to combine. Add the 5 cups along with the melted butter to the mixer at once.
Knead the ingredients on low/stir for about 1 minute then increase the mixer speed to low/2. Add more flour as necessary 1/4 cup at a time. The dough will lose its stickiness, still be a bit tacky but become smooth and easy to handle, about 1-4 minutes.
Lightly grease a bowl and place the dough in it, cover with plastic and a towel if desired, allowing the dough to rise for 90 minutes. Placing the bowl in a warm spot is key.
Once 90 minutes have passed, slice the dough in half. Flatten or roll out each half into 9x7 rectangles then roll the wide end up into a roll. No extra flour will be needed. Squeeze the ends closed, tuck under a bit, and set each half in a lightly greased 9x5 loaf pan.
Cover each half and allow to rise again for another 60 minutes, until doubled.
Begin preheating the oven to 350° F (176° C) and once it’s ready, bake the loaves for about 35-40 minutes, until nicely golden.
Remove the pans from the oven, let the loaves sit for 10 minutes, then remove the loaves from the pans to a cooling rack to cool completely.

Comments

Kara Wurtzel on Jul 13, 2020

Yum, this looks amazing! And so doable!

1 Reply
- Becky at The Bake Dept on Sep 13, 2020
  
  Thank you so much! Super doable, I hope you try it!
  
  Like
Connie on Sep 22, 2023

Before you add the yeast & sugar to the mixing bowl, I always run hot water on the bottom outside portion of the bowl, then wrap a dish towel around it to help keep it warm. Just a helpful tip.

1 Reply
- Becky at The Bake Dept on Sep 22, 2023
  
  Excellent tip! I do this too though without the dish towel. I will try that, thanks!
  
  Like

Basic Bread

Basic Bread

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