Whether toasted and slathered with rich butter or sliced for sandwiches. Your friends and family will love this fluffy, soft and tender and oh so buttery loaf of Classic White Bread. With just a few ingredients and a little time, you will find satisfaction in making your own bread at home.

This bread recipe is perfect for those who are learning to bake yeasted bread. This Classic White Bread teaches the basics of working with yeasted bread.

The method used is called the Straight-Dough Method. In where all the ingredients are combined, mixed, kneaded, fermented, formed, proofed, and baked in under 4 hours from start to finish. This style of bread is also known as an Enriched Bread. The addition of butter, granulated sugar, and whole milk tenderizes the crumb structure but add depth of flavor. Since we are not relying on long fermentation to develop flavors. The hydration of the dough is 65% making it easy to knead and shape.

There are instructions for both mixing and kneading with a stand mixer or by hand. Either way, you will produce an excellent loaf of bread.

As with all baking recipe I recommend you weigh the ingredients for the Classic White Bread. Weighing ensures you have a consistent dough each and every time. As bakers, we are always striving to remove any variables from the process of baking.

The full instructional video for Classic White Bread is at the bottom of this blog post. Follow this link to “LIKE” and “SUBSCRIBE” to my YouTube Channel “Just One Bite, Please?” http://www.youtube.com/c/justonebiteplease/

This blog post and YouTube video is sponsored by Litchi the makers of:

Litchi Cooking Stand Mixer 10 Speed Tilt-Head Stand Mixers 7.4 Quart Mixing & Heating Bowl

Visit www.litchilive.com to learn more or order directly from Amazon.

Equipment: (Shop my Amazon Page for Ingredients & Equipment)

• Measuring Cup & Spoon/Electronic Baker’s Scale
• Mixing Bowls
• Wooden Spoon
• Rubber Spatula
• Stand Mixer
• Plastic Bowl Scraper
• Plastic Wrap
• Non-Stick Spray or Oil
• 10-inch x 6-inch Bread Pans (25mm x 15mm)
• Cooling Rack

Classic White Bread

• Measured                  Grams           Ingredients
• 2 cups                             454 g.          Whole Milk (room temperature)
• ½ cup + 2 Tbsp.             141 g.          Water (room temperature)
• ¼ cup                                56 g.          Granulated Sugar
• 2 tsp.                                   8 g.          Instant Yeast
• ½ cup                             113 g.           Butter (unsalted, room temperature)
• 6-½ cup                          907 g.           Bread Flour (strong flour, King Arthur Flour)
• 1 Tbsp.                             22 g.           Sea Salt (fine)

Mixing and Kneading the Classic White Bread:

By Hand:

1.  In a large bowl combine the whole milk, water, granulated sugar, instant yeast, butter, and half of the bread flour. Mix with a wood spoon and beat until well combined.
2. Add the remaining bread flour and sea salt to the mixing bowl. Combine the ingredients together until a shaggy dough forms.
3. Scrape down the wood spoon and the bowl using a plastic bench scrape and to turn the dough onto the work surface.
4. Knead the dough to combine the ingredients for 1 to 2 minutes. Using the plastic scrape the dough off your hand and to bring it back together from the work surface. (Note: the dough will be very sticky at this point. Do not add any extra flour)
5. Continue to knead the dough for 8 to 10 minutes to develop the gluten. The dough will become strong and smooth. (Continue recipe below)

By Stand Mixer:

1. In the stand mixing bowl combine the whole milk, water, granulated sugar, instant yeast, butter, and half of the bread flour. Place the Beater Attachment on the stand mixer and beat until well combined.
2. Scrape off the Beater Attachment and remove from the stand mixer.
3. Add the remaining bread flour and sea salt to the mixing bowl.
4. Attach the Dough Hook to the stand mixer.
5. Mix on Speed 1 for 4 minutes or until the dough comes together into a ball.
6. Turn the stand mixer to Speed 2 and continue to knead the dough for 4 to 6 minutes. The dough will become smooth and elastic.
7. Remove the Dough Hook from the stand mixer and turn the dough out onto the work surface. (Continue recipe below)

Continued Recipe:

1. Lightly knead and form the dough into a ball and place into a bowl that has been sprayed with non-stick spray.
2. Cover the dough with plastic wrap and ferment the dough for 1 hour at 68º-74ºF (20º-23ºC).
3. After 1 hour, uncover and fold the dough. (video timestamp 2:51)
4. Place the dough back into the bowl and ferment the dough for 1 hour at 68º-74ºF (20º-23ºC).
5. After 1 hour, uncover and divide the dough into 2 even piece weighing about 842 grams each.
6. Form and shape each piece of dough into a tight round.
7. Cover with plastic wrap and let rest 20 minutes before final shaping the loaves.

Final Shaping and Baking the Classic White Bread:

Pre-heat the oven to 375ºF (190ºC) for 30 minutes before baking the loaves of bread. Place the oven rack on the lowest position before pre-heating the oven

1. Lightly spray the Bread Pans with non-stick spray or oil.
2. Working with one piece of dough at a time. Turn the dough over onto the smooth side and degas the dough. Knocking out any large air pockets with the palms of your hands.
3. Form the dough into a rectangle 10-inches x 12-inches (25mm x 30mm) with your hands. Lift the dough from the surface if necessary during shaping. (video timestamp 4:12 to 4:35)
4. Starting at 10-inch edge (25mm) tightly roll and press the dough using your finger tips. Continue to roll the dough into a tight log shape and seal the seam.
5. Place the shaped dough, seam side down into the prepared Bread Pan. (video timestamp 4:40)
6. Continue and final shape the second piece of dough.
7. Cover the Bread Pans loosely with plastic wrap and proof the dough for 1 hour at 68º-74ºF (20º-23ºC) or until the loaves have doubled in volume.
8. After 1 hour or when the dough has doubled remove the plastic wrap from the top of the Bread Pans.
9. Place the Bread into the oven on the lowest rack and evenly space the pans.
10. Bake at 375ºF (190ºC) for 30 to 32 minutes. Turn and move the Bread Pans around once to ensure even baking and color on the loaves.
11. Remove the baked loaves from the oven and immediately remove the Classic White Bread from the baking pans and place on the cooling rack.
12. Brush 1 tablespoon of soften butter over each loaf and let the loaves cool completely to room temperature before slicing.
13. Slice the cooled loaves using a serrated bread knife.
14. Enjoy!

Note: Store the Classic White Bread in a plastic bag for up to 4 days or double wrap with plastic wrap and freeze for 2 months. Thaw the frozen loaf in the plastic wrap to room temperature before slicing and eating.