Dense bread makes great toast - soaks in lots of butter!
This bread isn’t the most exciting loaf ever, but it’s simplicity is going to make it a staple in my kitchen. The crust is a tiny bit sweet, the bread is finely grained and neutral in flavor. It takes 3 hours from start to finish.
Basic White Bread
makes 1 loaf
2 cups bread flour
1 cup all purpose flour
2 tsp instant (quick) yeast
1/2 tsp salt
2 Tbsp oil or melted butter
2 Tbsp honey
1 cup milk (heated very warm)
MIx the dry ingredients together. Add the wet ingredients and stir to form a soft dough. Turn out onto a floured surface and knead for ten minutes. Allow dough to rise in a cloth covered, oiled bowl for an hour or until doubled. Punch the dough down and shape into a loaf. Allow to rise in oven (with the light on or with a pan of warm water) for about an hour. Bake at 180C for 40 minutes.
Posted by kuri at January 25, 2007 08:58 AMi’ve been yearning to bake bread lately, perhaps this will be the impetus! It looks yummy.
Posted by: holly on January 25, 2007 01:51 PMI make a yummy banana bread!! Does that count?
Seems to me that you could probably make good use of a bread maker in the near future. Does all the kneading for you and you can set the timer so that it is ready for breakfast.
Posted by: T on January 25, 2007 02:26 PMI make bread all the time. I don’t do it as much by hand anymore but rely on my bread machine due to time restrictions (a really good loaf of white bread can take up to 5 hours (2 rises of up to 2 hours and baking and cooling). I like the recipe above and I’ll give it a try. I’d suggest that in a pinch, if one doesn’t have honey, try going with 2 Tbsp brown sugar. I found that to work with a few of my bread recipes.
Posted by: Seth on January 25, 2007 02:45 PMI love kneading and getting my hands full of flour. Breadmakers don’t afford the same tactile joy.
Posted by: Kristen on January 25, 2007 03:51 PMNope, breadmakers don’t afford the same tactile joy. But, when you’re working during the day and want a fresh loaf with dinner, breadmakers allow it! Or, they at least give you a loaf of shumpy.
Even my handmade loaves don’t look as picture perfect as yours do. Are you sure you didn’t kidnap that loaf from 1950’s cookbook photo collection?
Posted by: on January 29, 2007 11:36 AMThanks for this recipe - I’ve just baked a loaf and it’s turned out great without much effort at all! I used brown sugar rather than honey, because I don’t have any honey. (Except I’ve just remembered I do have some after all, so could have used it. Hm.) Anyway I think this will make exceptional toast tomorrow morning. I have to say, it’s very good looking too, a very handsome loaf of bread indeed!
Posted by: sandy on January 31, 2007 07:36 AM