My Daily Bread

I really don't eat a lot of bread, so it's kind of funny that this is my second post in a row on bread. But I couldn't resist sharing this exciting news!!!

The other day, I conquered one of my biggest baking fears.....BREAD. I've made banana bread and zucchini bread, but never plain white bread. Why was I so scared? Why did it seem so intimidating? I'm happy to say, it went surprisingly well. The worst part was waiting for the dough to rise, but besides that, it couldn't have been any easier. I let my KitchenAid mixer and dough hook attachment do all the work. Now I'm not sure I will ever buy bread from the store again. It's loaded with preservatives and doesn't even taste like real bread. Plus it scares me how it can last over a month without getting moldy. That's just not normal. I've been using fresh slices for my husband's sandwiches all week and he loves it. I can't wait to make another loaf and try different varieties!

Classic Sandwich Bread 

Ingredients:

3 cups unbleached, all-purpose flour
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup hot water
1/2 stick butter, melted
1 1/2 Tbsp sugar
1 1/4 tsp salt
1 packet active dry yeast, dissolved in 1 Tbsp warm water

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a large bowl and a loaf pan with cooking spray.
2. Mix together cold milk and hot water. Add the liquid and all other ingredients to a mixing bowl. Mix on slow speed with a dough hook until dough is smooth and supple, about 4 minutes. (If not using a mixer, stir all ingredients together in a bowl then turn out onto a lightly greased surface. Knead dough for 6-8 minutes.)

 

3. Place dough in greased bowl. Cover with a towel. Allow dough to rise for about 2 hours until about doubled in size. 

4. Transfer dough to a lightly oiled surface and shape into an 8 inch log. Place log gently into greased loaf pan. Cover lightly with plastic wrap and allow dough to rise an additional 60 minutes. Dough should be domed approximately one inch above the edge of the pan. 

 

5. Bake bread for 35-40 minutes until light golden brown. Bread should pop right out of the pan when tipped over. Test for doneness by tapping on the bottom of the loaf. It should sound hollow. Cool on a wire rack before slicing. Store at room temperature in a plastic bag.