Homemade White Bread: A Comforting Classic
Wait?! Bread? I Thought You Were Gluten Free?!
Yes…I am Gluten Free, but I have multiple people in my Family that do enjoy a sandwich or toast once in a while…even I like to divulge every now and then! (80/20) So, when I divulge I like to make sure I know the exact ingredients I am putting in my body, as well as the ingredients I am giving to my family. Have you ever looked at the ingredients on a loaf of bread? Yikes! Rest assured this bread recipe is all simple and pure ingredients, that will taste way better than the store bought bread! The best part is that this is so simple, it will absolutely become a staple in your recipe box without driving you crazy! (Oh and did I mention your home with smell amazing?!)
This recipe yields 2 9 x 4 loaves
Ingredients:
1 2/3 cups lukewarm water, divided
2 1/4 tsp instant yeast, or active dry yeast
1 tsp sugar (this activates the yeast…so yes, you need it!)
1 Tbsp honey
1 tsp salt
1 1/2 Tbsp unsalted butter, cubed at room temperature (Use Grass Fed or Vegan Butter)
4 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (or Bread Flour)
1 1/2 Tbsp butter, melted for brushing
The How To:
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook, combine the instant yeast, sugar, and half of the lukewarm water. Let it sit for 5-10 minutes until foamy. If using active dry yeast, let it sit for 15 minutes.
Add the remaining water, honey, salt, cubed butter, and 4 cups of flour to the bowl. Knead at low speed until the dough comes together and is soft but not sticky. Add a few more tablespoons of flour if necessary. Continue to knead for 6-9 minutes until the dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl and is soft and smooth.
Transfer the dough to a lightly greased bowl, ensuring it is completely coated. Cover with plastic wrap and let it rise in a warm, draft-free place for about 45 minutes or until doubled in size. (Depending on the climate, this may take a bit longer.)
Lightly flour your work surface and turn out the dough onto it. Divide it into two equally sized portions. Use your fingers to gently pat each half into an 8×12 inch rectangle, pressing it all over to remove any air pockets. Starting at the short end, roll up the rectangle into a tight roll and pinch the seams to seal. Tuck the ends of the roll slightly under the roll to create some tension on the surface, then place each loaf into a greased 8×4 inch loaf pan, tucked ends and seam side down. Cover with a greased piece of plastic wrap and let it rise for about 45 minutes (again this may take a bit longer depending on climate) in a warm, draft-free place until doubled in size.
Preheat the oven to 390 degrees F and adjust the oven rack to the lower-middle position.
Bake the loaves for 25-30 minutes until golden brown and the loaf registers 208 to 210 degrees.
Pop the loaves out on a cooling rack and brush the tops and sides with melted butter. Let them cool completely before slicing. (Don’t slice before they cool…you will deflate the loaves!)
