Step-by-Step Basic White Bread

If you've never baked a loaf of bread from scratch before, try this recipe (of course, even if you have baked bread before, you can try this recipe, too!). This is a very basic, very easy recipe, that will familiarize yourself with the various steps involved in bread making. It will also enable you to get a feel for the dough at the different stages. And with only 5 ingredients, it isn't much of an investment to chalk up the not-so-great-loaves as "experience". (Although remember - no loaf should ever go to waste. If it is too dense, or not to your liking in another way, you can always turn it into breadcrumbs or croutons!!!). Hopefully with these detailed instructions you won't have a bad loaf! But - if it doesn't turn out right the first time, don't give up!

As I mentioned last night in the instructions for the preferment, it took me a long time to be able to bake a loaf of bread that was airy. Most of my loaves turned out dense, or hard (they didn't rise). I read and read, and baked and baked, trying different techniques, until I finally found some fool-proof tricks for making the perfect loaf. On my quest, I always enjoyed when people offered pictures, so thought I would offer the same in return, for those still looking. I've included pictures for each step, so you can see what your dough/loaf should look like. This recicpe is the result of me wanting to try new methods, so I would just throw a few ingredients together and watch what happened. We actually really enjoy the taste of this bread, so now I make it as a loaf to eat on it's own, or to use for sandwiches.

My goal here is to TEACH at least one person how to bake bread from scratch. OR perhaps to offer new tips to experienced bread bakers. Either way, I hope you enjoy this recipe blog!

Beginner's White Bread

• 12-16 hour old preferment (see previous post - SNEAK PEEK)
• 1 cup ap flour
• 1 tsp dry active yeast
• 2 tbsp EVOO
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1-2 tbsp water

1. Remove saran from preferment bowl and carefully pour flour, yeast, EVOO, and salt on top.

(this is what the preferment should look like)

2. Stir ingredients together with wooden spoon or dough hook (on KA stand mixer). Add 1-2 tbsp of water, as needed (you want your dough to be slightly tacky). Continue kneading by hand or with mixer for about 5 minutes.
3. Form dough into a ball, cover with a little drizzle of oil, and place back in bowl. Roll ball of dough around bowl so the sides of the bowl are slightly oily, too.

                                                              (dough before first rise)

4. Fill a 2-cup measuring cup 2/3 full with water (or a bowl, glass, etc - anything microwavable). Place in microwave and warm on high for 1.5 minutes. In the meantime, dampen a cloth, large enough to cover dough bowl, with WARM water. As soon as the microwave is finished, place covered dough bowl in microwave, leaving cup/bowl of water inside. Do this quickly, so as to minimize the time the door is open. This step is creating a make-shift proofer. This creates an ideal environment for the dough to rise.

5. After allowing dough to rise in closed microwave "proofer" for 45 minutes, remove bowl and carefully pour dough onto lightly floured surface.

                                                                (dough after first rise)

6. Very gently shape dough into a rectangluar shape (see pic). Don't press too hard on the dough.

                                                           (shape dough into rectangle)

7. Fold dough into thirds, like you would a letter. Again, be gentle handling the dough.

                                                              (dough folded into thirds)

8. Place dough into lightly greased bread pan, fold side down.

(dough before second rise)

9. Reheat glass container of water in microwave, for another 1.5 minutes. While it's warming, place a lightly greased pc of saran wrap over bread pan, very loosely. Quickly place dough in microwave, as before, to allow for the second rise. Leave door closed for 45-60 minutes. Check after 45 minutes, and if the dough is not above the sides of the pan, leave for another 5-15 minutes.

                                                               (dough after second rise)

10. With 30 minutes remaining on 2nd rise, preheat oven to 450 degrees.
11. After dough is done rising for the second time, remove saran and place in preheated oven. Immediately turn oven down to 400 degrees.
12. Bake loaf for 20-25 minutes (until lightly browned). To tell if loaf is down, slide out of pan and knock on bottom. It should sound hollow.
13. If bread is done, remove from pan and cool on rack. For a softer crust, brush with butter as soon as bread is out of pan.

(loaf brushed with butter)

I usually wait at least 15 minutes before slicing. You can eat at once :) , or leave on counter covered with a clean, dry towel. If bread remains at the end of the day, store in air tight bag or container on counter. It will last 2-3 days. If you want to freeze, you can slice, then place slices in DOUBLE bag in freezer. To save the environment, re-use baggies with future loaves!

(a nice, airy loaf!)