Sliced White Bread
Makes 2 loaves
- 2 1/4 tso active dry yeast
- 2 1/4 cups warm water
- a pinch or two of sugar
Put warm water in a mixing bowl. Sprinkle the yeast over the water. Using a whisk, mix the yeast into water. Sprinkle sugar into mixture. Give another little stir. Let sit for 5-10 min. It should start to foam inside the mixture and bubble a little and start smelling sour. If this doesn't happen, throw out, rinse and start over. While thats proofing, gather your next ingredients.
- 1/4 cup of sugar
- 2 tbsp oil
- 5 1/2 - 6 1/2 cups of flour
Pour sugar and oil into bowl of yeast mixture. Add 3 cups of flour to mixture. Using your whisk, thoroughly mix until well combined and it looks like pancake batter. Add 2 cups, using a rubber spatula, mix until you start making a ball. Add 1/2 cup of flour at a time until your ball is has come off the sides of the balls and is only slightly sticky. Sprinkle a little flour on a clean counter surface and start kneading the ball. To do this, I use my palms and fold the dough in to try to keep the ball shape going. Place the ball in an oiled bowl (I use the same bowl I mixed it in), cover with cling wrap and set in warm location (the stove light is a great spot) until it as a risen to double the size. Usually the cling wrap starts stretching.
Gently punch down dough and divide in two equal balls. Roll out each half into a long rectangle about 8 inches wide. Start with smaller side of dough and roll into a cylinder approximately 8 inches wide. Pinch the ends. Do the same to second ball.
Lightly grease 2 bread loaf pans and place the dough, seam side down, into pan. Cover both pans with cling wrap and let rise to double the size.
Preheat oven to 375. Bake about 30-35 min, the loaves should be golden brown and sound hollow when tapped. Move to a cooling rack. Cool before slicing.
Overall this recipe takes about 3 hours
Recipe