Basic White Bread

Recipe No: 145

One of the American Iron Chefs, Michael Simon, said if you master a recipe, you can make one good dish, but if you master a technique, you can make hundreds of recipes using that technique. This is absolutely true, if you think, and one such technique is that of Bread making.

Well earlier when I posted Bread stick recipe I mentioned, how much my husband loves homemade Bread. Now this is my recipe for the Basic White Bread, the one which I tried from my Kitchen Aid handbook with some adjustments in the measurement. Even though I tried many other recipes for Bread, this one seemed to be a keeper. Once you get this  right , you can go crazy with this recipe, making a whole lot of variations…

Ingredients                                       Makes one 8 ½ inch Bread

• Milk…………………………..1/4 Cup
• Sugar…………………………1 ½ Tablespoons
• Salt……………………………1 Teaspoon
• Butter or Shortening…...1 ½ Tablespoons
• Active Dry Yeast………….2 ½ Teaspoons
• Luke warm Water……….3/4 Cup
• Maida or All Purpose or Bread Flour…2 ½ to 3 Cups

Method of Preparation

1. Heat Milk, Salt, Sugar and Butter in a saucepan over medium heat until the Sugar is melted. Let it cool to lukewarm.

2. Dissolve Yeast in Warm Water in a big Bowl. (Bowl of a stand mixer if you have one)
3. Add the Milk mixture and 2 Cups of Flour and mix really well for a minute or till everything is combined. (Use a dough hook if using a Stand Mixer)
4. Add ½ to ¾ Cup more of Flour little by little, until the dough forms a soft and sticky ball. (In a stand mixer the dough should leave the sides of the Bowl.) Use only just enough Flour to make a manageable (can be knead without much sticking) dough.
5. Dump it on to a floured board and knead for 8 to 12 minutes. (If you are using a stand mixer let it knead on speed 2 for 3- 5 minutes) The resulting dough should be smooth and elastic.
6. Place the dough in a greased bowl turning it once to grease the top.
7. Cover with a damp towel and let it rise for about 2 hours or till it is doubled in bulk.
8. Punch it down and roll it into a 14 inch circle.

9. Fold both sides so that it overlaps slightly in the middle and then from the other side roll the dough as tightly as possible.
10. Place it in a greased  8 ½ X 4 ½ X 2 ½ inch Bread pan. Cover with a damp towel and let it rise in a warm place till it is doubled in bulk for about 1 hour.
11. Preheat the Oven to 350˚F/ 180˚C with a another pan filled with 2 Cups of Water in a lower rack.
12. Bake till the top of the Bread is light brown in color or the internal temperature is 165˚F/ 74˚C.
13. Remove from pan and let it cool on a wire rack.
14. Slice and serve once cooled.

Notes:

• Bread Flour and All Purpose Flour (which is same as that of Maida) are different. Bread Flour contains a higher amount protein that will in turn develop a higher amount of Gluten when kneaded. This Gluten is responsible for the elasticity of Breads. Thus Bread flour will give a more elastic and soft Bread than that of All Purpose Flour. But you can substitute one with the other using the same measurements, even though, the results may vary slightly. As All Purpose Flour is widely available, I tend to use it more and the results are perfectly satisfactory.
• Heating milk and then cooling it seems like a step that can be avoided but it is very crucial in determining the texture of the Bread. So please don't avoid this step. 
• The doubling time for the dough will depend on the power of the Yeast and the temperature of the surroundings. So please wait till the dough doubles in your cooking conditions.
• The temperature of the Water to which we put the Yeast should be lukewarm. That temperature will activate the Yeast, but if the temperature of the Water is high then it may kill the yeast. So after dissolving the Yeast in Water give it a few minutes to become active, that is shown by the bubbling of the dissolved Water. If it doesn't show a bubbling action either you have killed the Yeast or the Yeast is of poor quality (happens when it is very old). In both cases, start over again with fresh Yeast. 
• The Water in the pan from the lower rack gives enough water vapor to keep the Bread moist.

 





Make it, enjoy the deliciousness and 
serve it to your family with love...