Homemade Classic White Bread

   

Another attempt to get baking was to make 2 loaves of white bread.  This is the utmost easiest recipe and it turns out perfect bread.  It is made in the oven and not a bread machine.  Even though the bread machine is an easy method of making bread, I feel as though it is too much time between little loaves.  This one I can be done, start to finish in about 2 hours.  It is plenty of bread and the shape makes it easy to cut into thin sandwich slices.

I found this recipe at Favorite Freezer Foods they have wonderful information about bulk cooking and freezing with safety information and recipes.

White Sandwich Bread Recipe
(2 loaves)

• 5 1/2 - 6 cups flour, all purpose or bread
• 3 tablespoons sugar
• 2 tablespoons yeast
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 2 cups water

Optional:

• 2 Tablespoons butter
• 1/2 cup powdered milk, or substitute milk for up to half the water.

Combine two cups of flour, sugar, salt, un-dissolved yeast and if your using it the powdered milk. Use water OR regular milk that is warm to the touch and add to dry ingredients.

Beat well, I usually use my Kitchen Aid stand mixer for this part. Mix for about two minutes to get the gluten started, then add in more flour one cup at a time. After four cups of flour I turn the dough out to a floored surface, usually my kitchen table, and knead by hand. My mixer starts to strain if I try to make this double batch with all the flour in it.

After kneading, then let rest for 10 minutes. Punch down the dough and cut in in half. I use a knife to cut the dough. Shape into loaves and let rise until doubled about 45 minutes.

Bake at 400 Fahrenheit for 25-30 minutes. Immediately remove from the pan and let cool.

To Freeze:
How to freeze bread dough after shaping but before rising. Freeze for 2-3 months. A silicone pan is great for this and you can try one free from Easy Bakeware.

How to freeze baked bread after it has cooled completely. Slice before freezing if desired. Wrap well in freezer quality materials. I use a plastic freezer bag or plastic wrap and tin foil. Freeze for up to 6 months if well wrapped.

Now with this last batch, I made a fatal mistake to my bread.  I store my yeast and bread flour in the fridge and freezer.  The yeast I do not need to, but it makes me feel better.  The flour in the freezer is to stop the bugs from growing, because sometimes it is a bit of time before I bake again and when I am in the mood, I want my ingredients in the house.  Well, I did not let my dry ingredients come to room temperature.  SO when I added my warm water, the yeast never got warm and cozy enough to activate.  My bread raised a bit, but I think this had to do with the amount of Kneading I did and the air within the bread, more than the yeast.  If I would have made it longer and thinner, I think it would have done well as a pseudo French bread.

So what do you do with un-risen bread, well I made a round of French toast that was good.  And then I made bread pudding.  Oh, I skipped the raisins and cinnamon, and went for the chocolate chips instead.  Yum, Yum!

enjoy

~trish