Redfield Recipes: White Bread

White Bread

¹/₂	cup	warm water
2¹/₄	tsp	active dry yeast
1	cup	milk
1	cup	boiling water
2	Tbsp	sugar
2	Tbsp	butter
¹/₂	tsp	salt
6	cups	flour

Measure warm water. In this context, warm is 110°F. Usually this is about the temperature of kitchen sink water running hot measured into a room temperature measuring cup. If you can't comfortably dip your finger into it, it's probably too hot. If you don't want to remove your finger it's probably too cold.

Mix the yeast into the warm water and let sit until dissolved (about 10 minutes). Live yeast in water of an appropriate temperature will foam up. If the yeast does not react to the water, or sinks to the bottom, then either the yeast is dead or the water was too hot or cold. Throw away this round and try again.

Mix together milk, boiling water, sugar, butter, and salt until butter is melted and mixture is lukewarm.

Add yeast to milk mixture. Add about 3 cups of flour and mix thoroughly. Add remaining flour gradually until dough becomes to stiff to mix.

Turn dough onto a floured surface and knead in remaining flour. Knead until all 6 cups of flour have been incorporated or 10 minutes have passed, whichever comes first. Dough should be smooth and elastic, springing back into shape when poked gently.

Place dough in an oiled bowl and cover with a damp tea towel. Let rise until doubled in bulk, about 1 hour.

Punch down dough, removing all air bubbles, shape into two loaves, and place into well-greased loft pans with the seam down. Cover with a damp tea towel and let rise until almost doubled in bulk, about 1 hour.

Bake at 350°F (theoretically 400°F for metal baking tins, although cooking everything at 350°F has never given me problems) for about an hour until done. Bread is done when lightly tapping the bottom (or top) or a loft makes a hollow sound and the crust is nicely browned.

Let cool in the pan for half an hour or so before removing. To get bread out of the pan, run around the edges with a butter knife and turn the pan upside down.

Store bread in a paper bag or breadbox, or slice and freeze. Unless you eat it very quickly, bread in plastic bags will grown mold. If you must put it in a plastic bag, make sure bread is totally cold first.