Welcome to my 12 Breads of Christmas series. This first bread I’m introducing in my 12 Breads of Christmas series, White Sandwich Bread, sounds rather bland, right? Yet this recipe is the skeleton for every bread recipe I’ve developed through the years. This is the bread I made almost every day for 10 years while my kids were in school and I was packing lunches every morning with fresh bread. It’s baked in a loaf pan for a consistent shape. It’s soft and chewy, with a hearty crust that is easy to cut.
This bread recipe also makes great dinner rolls. Simply divide the dough into segments (this recipe can make six to eight rolls), roll the segments into balls with your hands, and place dough balls on a piece of parchment paper for the final proofing. When rolls are doubled in size, place the parchment paper on a cookie sheet or baking stone. Bake them at the same temperature for 20 to 25 minutes, checking your oven after 15 minutes to check for a golden brown crust. If you place a heavy ceramic cup or cast iron pan filled with water in the oven as it preheats, the steam from the water will produce a crispier crust.
Without more ado, here’s the recipe:
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Ingredients
Preheat oven to 350°F about 15 minutes before placing bread into oven.
9 oz warm water
3 tbl unsalted butter
3 c white bread flour
3 tbl sugar
1 ½ tsp salt
1 ½ tsp dry active yeast (not quick acting)
Instructions
- Mix ingredients in the order listed, either in a bread machine, stand mixer, or a large baking bowl. Knead dough for about 10 minutes, or until dough is smooth and elastic.
- ... a) Alternate method is to dissolve the yeast in warm water until frothy, then add to dry ingredients.
- Let dough rest in a lightly greased bowl, covered loosely with a light cloth, for about 60 minutes. The dough will nearly double in size.
- Punch down the dough and shape it into log. Place the dough in a lightly greased, standard-sized loaf pan.
- Cover the pan loosely with a light cloth and let the dough proof for 60 to 90 minutes. The dough should rise about 1 inch above the rim of the loaf pan.
- Place bread in preheated oven and bake for 20-35 minutes, until crust is golden brown. If you want to ensure your bread is done, you can insert an instant-read thermometer into the center to test for a temperature of 195°F to 200°F.
- Remove the bread from the oven, and turn it out immediately so it doesn’t stick to the pan.
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