Classic White Sandwich Bread

If I was writing a cookbook or a book on baking bread (and who says I’m not?), I would probably begin with something as basic as this classic white loaf of sandwich bread. I’m sure this bread, or something very much like it, was the first kind of bread I tried to make. I found it to be the easiest to master, and most other sandwich-style loves that I make are some variation on this recipe.

All that being said, I don’t make white bread very often, which is probably why I haven’t blabbed about it on these pages before. I tend to make breads with at least some whole grain flour in them, with this Wheat Sandwich Bread being my usual go-to. I tend to forget, however, just how beautiful a smooth and stretchy, almost glossy, and luxuriant a higher-gluten bread dough can be. It can be shaped into such a smooth ball with a lovely “gluten cloak” enfolding it all like a particularly cuddly and comforting blanket. And the resulting baked loaf is oh, so soft and fluffy.

 

I like to use King Arthur brand bread flour for my bread baking (the folks at that company do not know me or know anything about me using their products). I find that the bread flour has a very satisfying protein content that allows me to make bread the way I like to make it. By that I not only mean that the dough and the bread are the texture that I like, but also that it’s consistent and predictable enough for me to take the short-cut of using a stand mixer to mix and knead my dough, always with good results.

When I had more time, I used to knead my bread dough by hand. (Partly, I figured that I needed the exercise.) That experience was extremely valuable in terms of learning how flour, water, yeast, butter and salt can some together to form a great loaf of delicious bread. I learned how the dough should feel if it’s going to make a nice loaf, and that exact measurements in bread recipes are more like guidelines. The mixture will become a proper dough when it looks and feels like it will become a proper dough far more often than when the measured ingredients declare that their work is done.

Now, I’ve made enough dough to be able to let my Kitchen Aid do a lot of my work, while I merely supervise and quality check. I begin the dough with water, yeast and sugar in the bowl of the mixer, bloom the yeast, then add the butter and some of the flour. I let this sort of mini-starter rest for up to 30 minutes, which may not be a critical step, but I like the flavor and texture results when I do this. Finally, I add the rest of the flour and knead the dough with the hook attachment until it is smooth and stretchy, going by look and feel rather than exact measurements of ingredients or time.

The rest is shaping, resting and baking, and, if I was a skilled photographer, I could have a photo journal of the whole process. But let’s not let that distract us from the resulting delicious sandwich bread, classic in flavor, soft and fluffy in texture, but still sturdy enough to keep from collapsing or tearing when cutting. I don’t eat white bread very often, choosing at least slightly healthier recipes with some whole grains in them. That just makes a lovely slice of white bread an especially nice treat on occasion. Maybe it’s not quite cake, but, well, almost!

White Sandwich Bread

1 cup warm water (about 100 F)

2 teaspoons active dry yeast (1 envelope)

1 tablespoon sugar

1 tablespoon soft unsalted butter

3 cups bread flour, divided

1 teaspoon fine salt

1. Combine the water, yeast and sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer. (If mixing by hand, use a large bowl.) Let stand about 5 minutes or until the yeast is foamy.

2. Add the butter and 2 cups flour. Stir together on low speed (or stir with a spoon) to form a loose batter. Cover the bowl with a towel and let the mixture stand 15-30 minutes.

3. After resting, the batter should have risen and appear puffy. Add about half the remaining flour. Using the dough hook for the sand mixer, mix and knead at medium-low speed, adding as much of the remaining flour as you can. (Or, stir in as much flour as you can with a spoon and turn out the dough on a floured surface to knead by hand.)

4. Continue kneading in as much of the remaining flour as you can. You want to to form a smooth, stretchy dough that is still a little sticky to the touch. This will take a total of about 10 minutes.

5. Remove the dough from the bowl of the stand mixer and shape it into a smooth ball. The dough should be able to be stretched and shaped such that a smooth outer “cloak” forms around the outside of the ball, giving it a smooth shape.

6. Spray a large bowl with nonstick cooking spray or grease it using the method you desire. Place the dough ball in the bowl. Spray the top of the dough. Place a piece of plastic wrap directly on top of the dough. Cover the bowl with a towel. Let stand for about 1 hour, or until doubled in size.

7. When the dough has risen to double in size, gently deflate the dough and form it into a new ball. Let the dough rest about 5 minutes. Spray an 8 x 5-inch loaf pan with nonstick cooking spray, or grease it as desired. Shape the dough into a loaf and place it in the pan.

8. Cover the dough with a towel and let stand for about 1 hour or until roughly doubled in size. The dough should be puffed above the rim of the pan by 2 inches or so.

9. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 375 F. When the loaf has risen appropriately, bake at 375 F for 35 minutes, or until the bread tests done, either by sounding hollow when tapped on the bottom or by reaching a temperature of about 200 F in the interior of the loaf.

10. Remove from the pan and cool on a wire rack. Wrap well to store. The bread is best within a day or two, and can be frozen in a freezer-safe bag or container.

Makes 1 loaf.

Other recipes like this one: Wheat Sandwich Bread, Caraway Rye Sandwich Bread, Oatmeal Sandwich Bread