The BEST White Bread

By George, I've found it!  The most soft, subtle, heavenly white bread there ever was, is currently, or will ever be!  Seriously, this stuff is life-changing!  I've searched my whole life for the perfect white bread recipe, and now I can die feeling fulfilled in my bread-baking abilities.  Okay, not really - but you get the picture.

I know I use superlatives a lot on this blog, as in "this is the best {fill in the blank} that ever existed," but just know that if I can't say that truthfully about a dish I'm making, then I don't post it here on my blog.  

Last Fall, I learned how to make this bread at a class my sister and I took at King Arthur Flour in Norwich, Vermont. 

I've made this bread probably about a dozen times since then, and it never lasts long.  I even made a loaf for each of my neighbors for Christmas, alongside some honey butter and homemade strawberry freezer jam - and delivered it warm over several nights in December.  Nothing is better than bread fresh out of the oven and I received so many compliments, including one neighbor that earnestly said, "I don't know how I'll ever repay you."  Too funny.

 

The recipe is outstanding, but the technique is even more important.  I'll try to include all the tips I learned in italics. 

The BEST White Bread

Recipe from King Arthur Flour

Ingredients:

• 5-6 cups unbleached all purpose flour (I use King Arthur for best results, and usually use about 5 1/2 cups total)
• 1/4 cup dry milk
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 2 1/4 teaspoons instant yeast (the Meijer brand works best for me)
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 2 tablespoons butter, room temperature
• 2 cups warm water

Directions:

1. Measure 3 cups of the flour into a medium bowl, and add the dry milk powder, sugar, yeast, and salt.  Cut the butter into small pieces and stir into the dry ingredients.
2. Pour the warm water into the mixture and beat to blend well. 
3. Stir in the remaining flour gradually until the dough forms a shaggy mass. 
4. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface to knead gently*, incorporating the remaining flour until the dough becomes soft, elastic, and slightly tacky - though not sticky enough to stick to the counter. This process usually takes me about 8-10 minutes.
5. Allow the dough to rise in a lightly greased bowl, covered with plastic wrap until it has doubled in bulk, about 1 to 1 1/2 hours. 
6. After the dough has risen, gently degas** it. Divide in half and form the loaves into the desired shapes. Place in lightly-greased loaf pans.
7. Cover the loaves with plastic wrap and allow to rise until nearly doubled, about 30-45 minutes  (my rule of thumb is that once the dough has risen 1-inch above the bread pan, it's ready to go in the oven).
8. Bake in a preheated oven at 375 for 25-40 minutes (my bread is done in 28 minutes exactly), until the crust is golden brown and the loaf sounds hallow when tapped.

*One of the most important tips I learned at this class was to knead your bread gently - which is totally opposite of what I've always done.  Be very soft, and apply very little pressure.  The teacher told us if our shoulders were scrunched up by our ears, we were kneading too hard.  It's hard to get used to, but truly does make for a softer, more supple bread. 

**After the first rise, I've always punched down the dough.  I learned that this is a big no-no (again - we should try to be as soft as possible with the dough).  The best way to remove the excess air after the first rise is to empty the dough out of the bowl onto a lightly floured surface, and let it sit for a minute.  Then lightly pat out any extra air.  It's a technique called "Degassing."