White Bread

 

It's best to make this bread with bread flour, or unbleached flour, or a combination of both. Bread made with bread flour will rise higher in the oven.

 

INGREDIENTS

 

1 package dry yeast

1/3 cup warm water

2 teaspoons sugar

4 cups white flour

3 tablespoons unsalted butter, in tablespoon-size pieces

1 teaspoon salt

1 cup ice water

 

2 1-pound loaves

 

Stir yeast and sugar into warm water in 2-cup measure and let stand until foamy, 3 to 5 minutes. Use dough blade to process flour, butter and salt for 20 seconds. Add ice water to yeast mixture.

 

With machine running, pour liquid through feed tube in steady stream, only as fast as flour absorbs it. Continue processing until dough cleans inside of work bowl and forms a ball. Then let machine run for 60 seconds to knead dough.

 

Shape dough into ball and place in lightly floured plastic storage bag. Squeeze out air and close end with wire twist, allowing space for dough to rise. Let rise in warm place until dough has doubled in bulk, about 1 to 1-1/2 hours.

 

Punch dough down and shape into 2 loaves. Place each in greased 4-cup loaf pan. Cover with oiled plastic wrap and let rise in warm place until dough just rises above top of pan, about 45 minutes. Bake in middle rack of preheated 375°F oven until top is brown, about 35 minutes. Remove from pan and cool on wire rack.

 

Whole Wheat Variation: Replace 1/2 of white flour with an equal amount of whole wheat flour.