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.