Basic White Bread Recipes

Baking bread at home is often considered a difficult task and can be intimidating for some. But the aroma that spreads to every corner of the house, while baking homemade bread, makes this task worthwhile. One can also be assured of the quality of the ingredients and the freshness of the home-baked white bread. So get geared up to try out these basic white bread recipes.

Basic Traditional White Bread Recipe

Ingredients

• 6 cups bread flour
• ½ cup water
• 1¾ cup milk
• 2¼ teaspoons yeast
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 2 tablespoons melted butter
• 2 teaspoons salt

Directions

Dissolve the yeast in warm water and set aside. Heat milk, melted butter, sugar and salt to 115 degrees F and add into yeast mixture and stir well. Beat in 2½ cups of flour. Stir in enough of remaining flour and make a fairly stiff dough. Turn out the dough, onto a flat surface slightly sprinkled with flour. Knead for 10 minutes, while slowly adding flour one tablespoon at a time as needed. Take a greased bowl, place the dough turning it so that the greased surface is on the top. Cover with damp towel and keep in a warm place for an hour or until it is double in size.

Punch down the dough and turn out onto a lightly floured surface. Part the dough in half and shape each half into a smooth ball. Cover with damp towel and set aside for 10 minutes. Flatten to remove air bubbles and roll into two 14" x 8" rectangles. Roll up tight from short side. Seal seam and ends. Place in two greased 8½" x 4½" loaf pans and set aside in warm place to rise until the sides of the loaf are even with the top of the pan. Finally, bake in preheated oven at 375 degrees F for 45 minutes. Cover up with foil and leave aside for 15 minutes. Take out from pan and cool on wire rack.

Indiana Basic White Bread

Ingredients

• 7-8 cups unbleached white flour
• 3 tablespoons sugar
• ½ cup warm water
• 4 packages active dry yeast
• 2¼ cups warm milk
• 2½ tsp salt
• ¼ cup melted butter (unsalted)

Directions

In a small bowl, combine the water and yeast. Stir until dissolved and set aside. Take a large mixing bowl and mix the milk, sugar, butter, and salt. Blend well and add the yeast mixture. In a bowl, whisk the melted butter and sugar together and add them to the milk, water and yeast. Add 3 cups of flour mixed with salt to the bowl to make a soft dough. Turn out onto a lightly floured surface and knead the dough for 10 minutes, until smooth. Make a round ball of the dough and place in a warm, buttered bowl. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and a towel and set aside for 45 minutes or until doubled.

Knead down, recover and set aside to rise again for about 30 minutes. Turn out the dough again on a slightly floured surface and make 3 equal portions. Knead each portion, cover it and leave aside for about 10-15 minutes. Take 8-inch loaf pans greased with butter and shape dough into loaves and place in the pans. Cover and let the dough rise to the top of the pans. Bake loaves in preheated oven to 400 degrees F for about 35 minutes. Remove loaves out on wire racks to cool.

Easy Basic White Bread

Ingredients

• 5 cups all-purpose flour
• 3 tablespoons sugar
• ½ cup milk
• 3 tablespoons butter or margarine
• 2 packages active dry yeast
• 2 tablespoons salt
• 1½ cup warm water

Optional

• 2 tablespoons sesame seeds
• 1 teaspoon beaten egg
• 1 teaspoon water

Note: You can vary the taste of this recipe by adding a mixture of toasted sesame seeds and the egg and water to one loaf of bread.

Directions

In a small saucepan, combine sugar, milk, butter and salt. Heat over low flame until butter melts and sugar dissolves. Let cool to lukewarm. Dissolve the yeast with warm water, in a warmed bowl. Add the lukewarm milk mixture and flour gradually, and knead until dough is smooth and elastic. Place in a greased bowl, turning the dough, so greased portion is on top. Cover and set aside to rise in a warm place for about an hour. Punch down the dough and divide in half. Shape each half into a loaf and place in greased 8½" x 4½" x 2½" loaf pan. Cover and set aside to rise in a warm place, for about an hour, until doubled. Bake at 400 degrees F for 30 minutes. Remove from pans and cool on wire racks.

You can gain confidence in baking bread by trying these easy basic white bread recipes at home, and relish them with your family and friends.