Basic White Bread Food

BASIC WHITE BREAD (KITCHENAID)

Steps:

• Combine milk, sugar, salt, and butter in small saucepan. Heat over low heat until butter melts and sugar dissolves. Cool to lukewarm.
• Dissolve yeast in warm water in warmed bowl. Add lukewarm milk mixture and 4 1/2 cups flour. Attach bowl and dough hook. Turn to speed 2 and mix 1 minute. Continuing on speed 2, add remaining flour, 1/2 cup at a time, until dough clings to hook and cleans side of bowl. Knead on speed 2 for 2 minutes longer, or until dough is smooth and elastic. Dough will be slightly sticky to the touch.
• Place in a greased bowl, turning to grease top. Cover; let rise in warm place, free from draft, until doubled in bulk, about an hour.
• Punch dough down and divide in half. Shape each half into a loaf and place in a greased 8 1/2 x 4 1/2 x 2 1/2-inch loaf pan. Cover; let rise in warm place, free from draft, until doubled in bulk, about 1 hour.
• Bake at 400 degrees F for 30 minutes. Remove from pans immediately and cool on wire racks.
• When using for bierocks, after dough rises first time, cut dough in 12 pieces. roll each piece into a circle. Fill with hamburger cabbage filling ( I use recipe #50809).
• Spoon the filling in the middle of the circle then pinch the edges together and fold the ends in and place on greased baking sheet. Brush with egg wash and sprinkle with coarse ground pepper and salt. Bake at 350 degrees for 25 to 30 minutes. Cool on rack.

TRADITIONAL WHITE BREAD

Steps:

• In a large bowl, dissolve yeast and sugar in warm water. Stir in lard, salt and two cups of the flour. Stir in the remaining flour, 1/2 cup at a time, beating well after each addition. When the dough has pulled together, turn it out onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic, about 8 minutes.
• Lightly oil a large bowl, place the dough in the bowl and turn to coat with oil. Cover with a damp cloth and let rise in a warm place until doubled in volume, about 1 hour.
• Deflate the dough and turn it out onto a lightly floured surface. Divide the dough into two equal pieces and form into loaves. Place the loaves into two lightly greased 9x5 inch loaf pans. Cover the loaves with a damp cloth and let rise until doubled in volume, about 40 minutes.
• Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C).
• Bake at 375 degrees F (190 degrees C) for about 30 minutes or until the top is golden brown and the bottom of the loaf sounds hollow when tapped.

WHITE SANDWICH BREAD

Steps:

• Combine the yeast and 2 cups warm water in a mixing bowl and stir to dissolve. Add the butter, sugar and salt. Use a wooden spoon to stir in one-third of the flour until smooth. Add another third of the flour and stir, then turn it out onto a floured board to knead. Knead it over 15 minutes, adding the rest of the flour as you knead. Don't let it get dry too fast; it should stay sticky. Put the dough in a buttered bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Let it rise for 1 hour.
• Knead the dough another 5 minutes, place it back in the bowl and let it rise another hour.
• Butter 2 loaf pans. Shape the dough into 2 loaves and transfer them to the prepared pans. Cover and let rise for 45 minutes.
• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
• Bake the loaves until golden brown on top and cooked through, 30 to 35 minutes. Remove to a rack to cool.

BASIC HOMEMADE BREAD

Steps:

• In a large bowl, dissolve yeast and 1/2 teaspoon sugar in warm water; let stand until bubbles form on surface. Whisk together remaining 3 tablespoons sugar, salt and 3 cups flour. Stir oil into yeast mixture; pour into flour mixture and beat until smooth. Stir in enough remaining flour, 1/2 cup at a time, to form a soft dough. , Turn onto a floured surface; knead until smooth and elastic, 8-10 minutes. Place in a greased bowl, turning once to grease the top. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, 1-1/2 to 2 hours., Punch dough down. Turn onto a lightly floured surface; divide dough in half. Shape each into a loaf. Place in 2 greased 9x5-in. loaf pans. Cover and let rise until doubled, 1 to 1-1/2 hours., Bake at 375° until golden brown and bread sounds hollow when tapped or has reached an internal temperature of 200°, 30-35 minutes. Remove from pans to wire racks to cool.

CHEF JOHN'S WHITE BREAD

Steps:

• Pour warm milk into a bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook. Sprinkle yeast on top and let dissolve until a few small bubbles begin to a form, 10 to 15 minutes. Add beaten egg, sugar, vinegar, baking soda, salt, cayenne, flour, and butter.
• Knead on low speed until dough begins to come together. Increase speed slightly and knead about 3 minutes more. Use a spatula to scrape the sides clean and gather the dough into the center. Cover and let rise until doubled in volume, 1 1/2 to 2 hours.
• Butter a spatula and a loaf pan. Scrape the dough into the pan using the spatula. Smooth out the top to distribute dough evenly. Dust the top with flour and press gently to even out the dough. Let rise in pan for 30 minutes.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Use a sharp knife or razor to cut a deep slash lengthwise through the center of the loaf. You may need to go over it several times. Brush the top with most of the melted butter.
• Bake in the preheated oven until golden brown, about 30 minutes.
• Brush hot loaf with remaining butter. Let cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then turn it out onto a wire rack to cool for at least 1 hour before slicing.

WHITE BREAD

Steps:

• Place 1/2 cup warm water in a small bowl or liquid measuring cups yeast and sugar over water and whisk to combine. Let stand until creamy, about 5 minutes.
• Place salt, remaining two cups warm water, and about 3 1/2 cups flour in the bowl of an electric mixer. Attach dough hook to mixer; turn mixer on and off a few times just to incorporate flour. Add 1 cup flour. With mixer on low, slowly add yeast mixture and remaining 2 1/2 cups flour. Increase speed to medium and mix until dough comes together, scraping down sides of bowl as necessary. If dough does not come together, add more flour, 1 tablespoon at a time.
• Continue kneading on medium speed for about 5 minutes Add butter and continue mixing dough, 4 to 5 minutes. Dough may come apart before coming back together.
• Turn dough out onto a lightly floured work surface and shape into a ball. Butter a large bowl and transfer dough to prepared bowl, turning dough to coat. Cover tightly with plastic wrap sprayed with nonstick cooking spray and let stand at room temperature until doubled in size, 45 minutes to 1 hour.
• Butter two 4 1/2-by-8 1/2-inch loaf pans; set aside.
• Place dough, top-side down, on work surface to deflate; divide dough in half. Working with 1 piece of dough at a time, use the palms of your hands and fingertips or a rolling pin to pat dough into a 7-inch square.
• Place dough on work surface so one of the short sides is facing you. Starting with the bottom edge, roll dough and pinch to seal seam. Place roll in pan, seam side down. Repeat process with remaining piece of dough.
• Spray two pieces of plastic wrap with nonstick cooking spray. Cover loaf pans with plastic wrap, sprayed side down. Let stand in a warm place until doubled in size, growing over tops of pans, and when pressed gently with your finger an impression remains, 1 hour to 1 hour and 15 minutes.
• Preheat oven to 425 degrees on a conventional oven or 400 degrees on a convection oven with a rack set in the center of oven.
• Transfer pans to oven and bake for 15 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 375 degrees (conventional) or 350 (convection) and continue baking until honey brown and an instant-read thermometer inserted into the center of each loaf reaches 205 degrees, about 45 minutes more.
• Transfer to wire racks. Let cool slightly; turn out loaves. Brush tops with butter and let cool. Do not cut until almost cool.

RICH WHITE BREAD

Steps:

• Insert metal blade in food processor bowl. Add flour, sugar, yeast, and salt; process 10 seconds to combine. Place butter and egg in food processor. Begin processing, then slowly pour warm water through feed tube just until dough forms a ball, about 10 to 15 seconds. Continue processing for 60 seconds to knead dough. Carefully remove dough from processor bowl and place on a lightly floured surface. Cover and let rest for 10 minutes.
• Form dough into a loaf and place in a lightly greased 8x4 inch loaf pan. Cover and let rise until doubled, about 45 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
• Bake in the preheated oven for about 30 minutes or until the top is golden brown and the bottom of the loaf sounds hollow when tapped.

SIMPLE WHITE BREAD

Steps:

• Mix the water, yeast, and sugar together in a small bowl.
• Add the salt to 5 1/2 cups of the flour in a large bowl.
• Set the other cup of flour aside. Mix the liquid and the dry together and then add the oil.
• Mix until it comes away from the sides of the bowl, sprinkle some of the last cup of flour on a wooden surface, and knead until the dough gets sticky again.
• Keep adding more flour and keep kneading.
• Push forward, fold over, push forward, fold over.
• I do this one handed because I have to, but it works.
• Put a little oil in the large bowl, that has been scraped clean, add the kneaded dough and roll it over a few times to coat. Cover, let stand for about one hour in a warm place. Punch down, cut the dough in half and roll it out to about a 9 inch by 18 inch rectangle. Roll it up, tuck in the ends and place in a very well lubricated ( I use crisco) glass baking dish.
• Repeat with the other half, and then cover with a cloth and let it rise again for about 45 minutes.
• Use a sharp knife to put a few slashes in the top, brush with a little beaten egg or milk, and put into a pre-heated 375 (f) oven for 30 minutes.
• The bread is done when an instant read thermometer reads 190 (f).

CLASSIC WHITE LOAF

Steps:

• Make the dough by tipping the flour, yeast and salt into a large bowl and making a well in the middle. Pour in most of the water and use your fingers or a wooden spoon to mix the flour and water together until combined to a slightly wet, pillowy, workable dough - add a splash more water if necessary. Tip the dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead for at least 10 mins until smooth and elastic. This can also be done in a tabletop mixer with a dough hook. Place the dough in a clean oiled bowl, cover with cling film and leave to rise until doubled in size.
• Heat oven to 220C/fan 200C/gas 7. Knock back the dough by tipping it back onto a floured surface and pushing the air out. Mould the dough into a rugby ball shape that will fit a 900g loaf tin and place in the tin. Cover with a clean tea towel and leave to prove for 30 mins. Dust the top of the loaf with a little more flour and slash the top with a sharp knife if you want. Bake the bread for 15 mins, then reduce the heat to 190C/fan 170C/gas 5 and continue to bake for 30 mins until the loaf sounds hollow when removed from the tin and tapped on the base. Leave the bread on a wire rack to cool completely. The loaf will stay fresh in an airtight container for 3 days or can be frozen for 1 month.

SIMPLE WHITE BREAD

Steps:

• In a measuring cup, combine the sugar and yeast to 1 cup of lukewarm water, stirring until combined. Set aside.
• In a medium bowl, mix together the flour and salt.
• Pour the yeast mixture into the bowl and combine all the ingredients.
• Sprinkle 1-2 tablespoons of flour onto your work surface and knead the dough for a few minutes, or until smooth and elastic.
• Store the dough in a sealable plastic bag that has been drizzled in olive oil, making sure the dough is completely covered in the oil. Keep the dough in the refrigerator overnight.
• WHEN YOU ARE READY* to bake the bread, remove the dough from the refrigerator. Leave the dough in the plastic zipped bag,and let it come to room temperature (about an hour). *This can sit in your fridge for SEVERAL days!!
• Prepare a loaf pan with nonstick spray.
• Sprinkle 1-2 tablespoons of flour on your work surface, take the dough out of the bag, and knead and fold the dough for about 1 minute.
• Form a log with the dough that will fit in your prepared loaf pan. Cover the pan with the plastic bag and let it rise until is has at least doubled in size (about 2 hours).
• Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350°F.
• After the dough has risen, remove the plastic covering and slash the top of the dough with a sharp knife.
• Bake for 35-40 minutes at 350°F, or until the internal temperature is 190-210°F. Let it cool completely before slicing.

SIMPLE WHITE BREAD

Steps:

• In a large mixing bowl, dissolve yeast in 1/2 cup warm water. Add remaining water, dry milk, oil, sugar, salt, and 3 cups of flour; beat with an electric mixer on medium speed for 3 minutes, or until smooth. Stir in enough remaining flour to form a soft dough.
• Turn dough onto a lightly floured surface. Knead until smooth and elastic, about 6 to 8 minutes. Place in a greased bowl, turning once to grease surface. Cover the bowl with a damp cloth. Let rise in a warm place until doubled in size, about 1 hour.
• Punch the dough down, and divide in half. Shape into loaves. Place in two greased 9 X 5 x 3 inch loaf pans. Grease the tops of the loaves, and cover with a damp cloth. Let rise until doubled, about 1 hour.
• Bake at 375 degrees F (190 degrees C) for 35 minutes, or until golden brown. Remove bread from pans to cool on wire racks. Brush with melted butter or margarine.

EASY WHITE BREAD

Steps:

• Put the flour into a large mixing bowl and add the butter. Add the yeast at one side of the bowl and add the salt at the other, otherwise the salt will kill the yeast. Stir all the ingredients with a spoon to combine.
• Add half of the water and turn the mixture round with your fingers. Continue to add water a little at a time, combining well, until you've picked up all of the flour from the sides of the bowl. You may not need to add all of the water, or you may need to add a little more - you want a dough that is well combined and soft, but not sticky or soggy. Mix with your fingers to make sure all of the ingredients are combined and use the mixture to clean the inside of the bowl. Keep going until the mixture forms a rough dough.
• Use about a teaspoon of oil to lightly grease a clean work surface (using oil instead of flour will keep the texture of the dough consistent). Turn out your dough onto the greased work surface (make sure you have plenty of space).
• Fold the far edge of the dough into the middle of the dough, then turn the dough by 45 degrees and repeat. Do this several times until the dough is very lightly coated all over in olive oil.
• Now use your hands to knead the dough: push the dough out in one direction with the heel of your hand, then fold it back on itself. Turn the dough by 90 degrees and repeat. Kneading in this way stretches the gluten and makes the dough elastic. Do this for about 4 or 5 minutes until the dough is smooth and stretchy. Work quickly so that the mixture doesn't stick to your hands - if it does get too sticky you can add a little flour to your hands.
• Clean and lightly oil your mixing bowl and put the dough back into it. Cover with a damp tea towel or lightly oiled cling film and set it aside to prove. This gives the yeast time to work: the dough should double in size. This should take around one hour, but will vary depending on the temperature of your room (don't put the bowl in a hot place or the yeast will work too quickly).
• Line a baking tray with baking or silicone paper (not greaseproof).
• Once the dough has doubled in size scrape it out of the bowl to shape it. The texture should be bouncy and shiny. Turn it out onto a lightly floured surface and knock it back by kneading it firmly to 'knock' out the air. Use your hand to roll the dough up, then turn by 45 degrees and roll it up again. Repeat several times. Gently turn and smooth the dough into a round loaf shape.
• Place the loaf onto the lined baking tray, cover with a tea towel or lightly oiled cling film and leave to prove until it's doubled in size. This will take about an hour, but may be quicker or slower depending on how warm your kitchen is.
• Preheat the oven to 220C (200C fan assisted)/425F/Gas 7. Put an old, empty roasting tin into the bottom of the oven.
• After an hour the loaf should have proved (risen again). Sprinkle some flour on top and very gently rub it in. Use a large, sharp knife to make shallow cuts (about 1cm/½in deep) across the top of the loaf to create a diamond pattern.
• Put the loaf (on its baking tray) into the middle of the oven. Pour a little water into the empty roasting tray at the bottom of the oven just before you shut the door - this creates steam which helps the loaf develop a crisp and shiny crust.
• Bake the loaf for about 30 minutes.
• The loaf is cooked when it's risen and golden. To check, take it out of the oven and tap it gently underneath - it should sound hollow. Turn onto a wire rack to cool.

KHOBZ (BASIC MOROCCAN WHITE BREAD) RECIPE

Steps:

• Pre-heat oven to 435 F / 225 C.

BASIC SOFT WHITE SANDWICH LOAF

Steps:

• 1. Make the sponge. In a mixer bowl or other large bowl, combine the flour, water, honey, and instant yeast. Whisk until very smooth, to incorporate air, about 2 minutes. The sponge will be the consistency of a thick batter, Scrape down the sides of the bowl, and cover with plastic wrap.
• 2. Make the flour mixture and add to the sponge. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour (reserve 1/4 cup if mixing by hand), dry milk, and instant yeast. Sprinkle this on top of the sponge and cover tightly with plastic wrap. Allow it to ferment for 1 to 4 hours at room temperature. (During this time, the sponge will bubble through the flour blanket in places: this is fine.)
• 3. Mix the dough.
• Mixer Method Add the butter to the bowl and mix with the dough hook on low speed (#2 if using a KitchenAid) for 1 minute or until the flour is moistened enough to form a rough dough. Scrape down any bits of dough. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and allow the dough to rest for 20 minutes.
• Sprinkle on the salt and knead the dough on medium speed (#4 KitchenAid) for 7 to 10 minutes. It will not come away from the bowl until the last minute or so of kneading; it will be smooth and shiny and stick to your fingers. With an oiled spatula, scrape down any dough clinging to the sides of the bowl. If the dough is not stiff, knead in a little flour. If it is not at all sticky, spray it with a little water and knead it in. (The dough will weigh about 44.25 ounces/1258 grams.)
• Hand Method Add the salt and butter to the bowl and, with a wooden spoon or your hand, stir until all the flour is moistened. Knead the dough in the bowl until it comes together, then scrape it onto a lightly floured counter. Knead the dough for 5 minutes, enough to develop the gluten structure a little, adding as little of the reserved flour as possible to keep the dough from sticking. Use a bench scraper to scrape the dough and gather it together as you knead it. At this point, it will be very sticky. Cover it with the inverted bowl and allow it to rest for 20 minutes. (This resting time will make the dough less sticky and easier to work with.)
• Knead the dough for another 5 minutes or until it is very smooth and elastic. It should still be tacky (sticky) enough to cling slightly to your fingers a little. If the dough is still very sticky, however, add some of the remaining reserved flour, or a little extra. (The dough will weigh about 44.25 ounces/1258 grams.)
• Both Methods 4. Let the dough rise. Using an oiled spatula or dough scraper, scrape the dough into a 4-quart dough-rising container or bowl, lightly oiled with cooking spray or oil. Push down the dough and lightly spray or oil the surface. Cover the container with a lid or plastic wrap. With a piece of tape, mark the side of the container at approximately where double the height of the dough would be. Allow the dough to rise (ideally at 75°to 80°F) until doubled, 1 1/2 to 2 hours.
• Using an oiled spatula or dough scraper, scrape the dough onto a floured counter and press down on it gently to form a rectangle. It will be full of air and resilient. Try to maintain as many of the air bubbles as possible. Pull out and fold the dough over from all four sides into a tight package, or give it 2 business letter turns and set it back in the container. Again oil the surface, cover, and mark where double the height would now be. (It will fill the container fuller than before because it is puffier with air.) Allow the dough to rise for 1 to 2 hours or until it reaches the mark.
• 5. Shape the dough and let it rise. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured counter and cut it in half. Shape each piece into a loaf: begin by gently pressing the dough (or lightly rolling it with a rolling pin) into a wide rectangle; the exact size is not important at this point. (A long side of the dough should be facing toward you.) Dimple the dough with your fingertips to deflate any large bubbles. Fold over the right side of the dough to a little past the center. Fold over the left side of the dough to overlap it slightly. Press the center overlap section with the side of your hand to seal the dough. (If you have a lot of experience shaping, you may prefer at this point to rotate the dough 90 degrees-a quarter turn.) Starting at the top edge of the dough, roll it over three or four times, until it reaches the bottom edge of the dough: with each roll, press with your thumbs to seal it and at the same time push it away from you slightly to tighten the outer skin. As you roll and press, the dough will become wider. If it is not as long as the pan, place both hands close together on top of the dough and, rolling back and forth, gradually work your way toward the ends, gently stretching the dough. For the most even shape, it is important to keep a tight skin on the surface of the dough and not to tear it. If you want the edges of the loaf to be smooth, tuck the sides under.
• Place the loaves in the prepared loaf pans; the dough will be about 1/2 inch from the top of the pans. Cover them with a large container, or cover them loosely with oiled plastic wrap, and allow to rise until the center is about 1 inch above the sides of the pan, 1 1/2 to 2 hours. When the dough is pressed with a fingertip, the depression will very slowly fill in.
• 6. Preheat the oven. Preheat the oven to 350°F 45 minutes before baking. Have an oven shelf at the lowest level and place a baking stone or baking sheet on it, and a cast-iron skillet or sheet pan on the floor of the oven, before preheating.
• 7. Bake the bread. Quickly but gently set the pans on the hot baking stone or hot baking sheet. Toss 1/2 cup of ice cubes into the pan beneath and immediately shut the door. Bake for 50 minutes or until medium golden brown and a skewer inserted in the middle comes out clean (an instant-read thermometer inserted into the center will read about 210°F). Halfway through baking, turn the pans around for even baking.
• 8. Glaze and cool the bread. Remove the bread from the oven and set it on a wire rack. Brush the top of the bread with the optional melted butter. Unmold and cool top side up on a wire rack until barely warm, about 1 hour.
• ULTIMATE FULL FLAVOR VARIATION
• For the best flavor development, in Step 2, allow the sponge to ferment for 1 hour at room temperature and then refrigerate it for 8 to 24 hours. If using the hand mixing method, remove it from the refrigerator about 1 hour before mixing the dough.
• POINTERS FOR SUCCESS
• • If not using the dry milk, you can replace 1 cup of the water with 1 cup milk, preferably nonfat, scalded (brought to the boiling point) and cooled to lukewarm.
• UNDERSTANDING
• A greater amount of sponge dough starter (pre-ferment) offers a fuller flavor in this "plain" bread, so almost 50 percent of total amount of flour is used in the sponge, compared to the usual 30 percent of hearth breads.
• If using liquid milk, it is scalded to deactivate the enzyme in it that could make the dough sticky.
• Baking the bread at too high a temperature, would result in too thin a crust, which would cause keyholing, or caving in at the sides of the loaf. Therefore, this bread is baked at 350°F. It is also important for the bread to be thoroughly baked so that the crust is firm enough to prevent it from compressing. The loaves should not be cut until completely cool for the same reason.
• THE DOUGH PERCENTAGE
• Flour: 100% Water: 66.3% (includes the water in the butter and honey) Yeast: 0.74% Salt: 2.3% Butterfat: 15.9%

EASY WHITE SANDWICH BREAD

Steps:

• Add the water, yeast and honey to the bowl of your stand mixer and mix with a fork just until the yeast is moistened and the honey is dissolved.
• Let sit for about 4-5 minutes.
• Add the flour to the bowl of the stand mixer on top of the water and yeast mixture and then add the salt.
• Turn the mixer on low speed and mix until a soft dough forms.
• Continue mixing on medium-low speed and let the mixer knead the dough for about 4 minutes. The dough should have formed a soft ball and the sides of the bow should be clean. Only if the dough is too wet and sticking to the side of the bowl, add a tablespoon or two more flour as it kneads.
• Shape the dough with your hands into a ball and place it back into the bowl (oil the bowl, if you wish). Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let rise for 60 minutes in a warm, draft-free place.
• Grease 2 loaf pans with butter or a high-quality non-stick baking spray.
• After the dough rises, punch it down and turn it out onto a floured work surface and divide it in half.
• Roll each piece of dough into a ball with your hands, eventually shaping it into an oblong round shape.
• Place each piece of dough into one of the greased loaf pans and cover the pans with a clean kitchen towel.
• Let them rise again in a warm, draft-free place for about 20 minutes.
• Preheat your oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
• Whisk together the egg and water to make the egg wash (if using).
• Brush the egg wash over the tops of the loaves and bake at 400 degrees Fahrenheit for about 25-35 minutes until the tops of the loaves are a deep golden brown colour.
• After baking, remove from the pans and place the loaves on a wire rack to cool completely.
• Slice after the loaves have cooled completely to room temperature and use to make your favourite sandwiches or serve alongside soups or stews.

EASY WHITE BREAD

Steps:

• Mix 500g strong white flour, 2 tsp salt and a 7g sachet of fast-action yeast in a large bowl.
• Make a well in the centre, then add 3 tbsp olive oil and 300ml water, and mix well. If the dough seems a little stiff, add another 1-2 tbsp water and mix well.
• Tip onto a lightly floured work surface and knead for around 10 mins.
• Once the dough is satin-smooth, place it in a lightly oiled bowl and cover with cling film. Leave to rise for 1 hour until doubled in size or place in the fridge overnight.
• Line a baking tray with baking parchment. Knock back the dough (punch the air out and pull the dough in on itself) then gently mould the dough into a ball.
• Place it on the baking parchment to prove for a further hour until doubled in size.
• Heat oven to 220C/fan 200C/gas 7.
• Dust the loaf with some extra flour and cut a cross about 6cm long into the top of the loaf with a sharp knife.
• Bake for 25-30 mins until golden brown and the loaf sounds hollow when tapped underneath. Cool on a wire rack.

VERY BASIC BREAD

Steps:

• Combine 5 ounces of the flour, 1/4 teaspoon of the yeast, all of the honey, and all of the bottled water in a straight-sided container; cover loosely and refrigerate for 8 to 12 hours.
• Place the remaining 11 ounces of flour, remaining yeast, and all the salt into the bowl of a stand mixer, and add the pre-ferment from the refrigerator. Using the dough hook attachment, knead the mixture on low for 2 to 3 minutes just until it comes together. Cover the dough in the bowl with a kitchen towel and allow to rest for 20 minutes. After 20 minutes, knead the dough on medium speed for 5 to 10 minutes or until you are able to gently pull the dough into a thin sheet that light will pass through. The dough will be sticky, but not so sticky that you can't handle it.
• While the dough is kneading, pour half of the hot water into a shallow pan and place on the bottom rack of your oven.
• Grease the inside of a large straight-sided container with the vegetable oil. Place the dough ball into the container and set on the rack above the pan of water. Allow to rise until doubled in size, approximately 1 to 2 hours.
• Once the dough has doubled in size, turn it onto a counter top, lightly dust your hands with flour, and press the dough out with your knuckles; then fold 1 side in towards the middle of the mass and then the other, as if you were making a tri-fold wallet. Repeat the folding a second time. Cover the dough with a kitchen towel and allow to rest for another 10 minutes.
• Flatten dough again with your knuckles and then fold the dough in onto itself, like you are shaping something that looks like a jellyfish. Turn the dough over and squeeze the bottom together so that the top surface of the dough is smooth. Place the dough back onto the counter and begin to roll gently between your hands. Do not grab the dough but allow it to move gently back and forth between your hands, moving in a circular motion. Move the dough ball to a pizza peel or the bottom of a sheet pan that has been sprinkled with the cornmeal. Cover with the kitchen towel and allow to bench proof for 1 hour, or until you poke the dough and it quickly fills back in where you poked it.
• Place an unglazed terra cotta dish upside down into the oven and heat the oven to 400 degrees F.
• Combine the 1/3 cup of water and the cornstarch in a small bowl. Uncover the dough and brush the surface with this mixture. Gently slash the top surface of the dough ball in several places, approximately 1/3 to 1/2-inch deep. Add more of the hot water to the shallow pan if it has evaporated. Slide the bread onto the terra cotta dish in the oven and bake for 50 to 60 minutes. Once the bread has reached an internal temperature of 205 to 210 degrees F, remove to a cooling rack and allow to sit for 30 minutes before slicing.

VERY BASIC EASY WHITE BREAD

Steps:

• In large bowl combine flour yeast and salt Add water and stir until a stiff dough forms Turn dough out onto a floured surface.
• Knead until dough is smooth and elastic Lightly oil bowl and top of dough.
• Cover with plastic wrap and leave in a warm place to rise until doubled in size.
• Punch down dough.
• Divide into two equal pieces.
• Shape and place in pans, cover and allow to rise until doubled.
• Set oven to 425 degrees Bake until bread is golden brown and sounds hollow when tapped.

WHITE YEAST BREAD

Steps:

• In a measuring cup, mix the sugar with a 1/2 cup of the warm water and yeast and let stand in a warm place for 5 minutes, or until frothy. If using fast-acting yeast, there is no need to let the mixture stand.
• In a large bowl, sift together the flour and salt. Rub in the butter, and make a well in the center. If using olive oil instead of butter, pour the olive oil into the remaining 1 1/2 cups water. Pour in the yeast mixture and most of the remaining water (and the olive oil, if using). Mix to a loose dough, adding the remaining water if needed, plus extra if necessary.
• Knead the mixture until the dough is smooth and springy to the touch, about 10 minutes. If kneading in an electric food mixer with a dough hook, 5 minutes is usually long enough.
• Put the dough in a large oiled bowl. Cover the top tightly with plastic wrap, and place somewhere warm to rise, until it is doubled in size. This may take up to 2 or even (on a cold day) 3 hours.
• Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
• When the dough has more than doubled in size, punch down, and knead again for 2 to 3 minutes. Leave to relax for 10 minutes before you begin to shape the bread.
• Shape the bread into loaves or rolls, and then transfer to a baking tray, and cover with a clean tea or dish towel. Allow to rise again in a warm place for 20 to 30 minutes, until the shaped dough has again doubled in size. When the dough has fully risen, it should leave a dent when you gently press the dough with your finger.
• The bread is full of air at this point, and therefore very fragile, gently brush the loaf with egg wash and sprinkle with poppy or sesame seeds, if using, or dust lightly with flour for a rustic-looking loaf.
• Bake in the oven for 30 to 45 minutes for a loaf, depending on its size, or 10 to 15 minutes for rolls, Turn the heat down to 400 degrees F, after 15 minutes for the remaining baking time. When baked, the bread should sound hollow when tapped on the base. Transfer the loaf to a wire rack to cool.

EASY WHITE BREAD

Steps:

• Whisk water, sugar and yeast together. Allow to stand for 10 minutes until foamy.
• In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook attachment, combine the flour and salt.
• With the mixer running, add the water and allow to knead in.
• Add the butter or oil, allow to knead in then add more flour, one third cup at a time until the dough is smooth.
• Knead for another minuted until the dough comes away from the sides of the bowl.
• If the dough is still very sticky, add more flour and knead in.
• The dough should be smooth and soft and only a slight bit sticky.
• Cover with plastic or a damp tea towel and allow to rise for 1 hour.
• Once the dough has proofed, press it into rectangle on a lightly floured surface. Roll onto its self into a log, pinch the seam then transfer to a loaf pan that has been lightly greased.
• Covere again and allow to rise for 30 minutes while you preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F.
• Place in the oven and allow to bake for 30-45 minutes until golden brown and risen. Once baked the bread will sound hollow when tapped on the bottom.
• Remove, brush with a little butter and allow to cool before slicing.

BASIC WHITE BREAD

Steps:

• Place ingredients in the pan of the bread machine in the order recommended by the manufacturer. Select White Bread setting; press Start.

BASIC WHITE BREAD

Steps:

• In a large bowl, sprinkle yeast over warm milk.
• Stir in until well blended.
• Add sugar, salt and oil.
• Add flour about 2 cups at a time, blending until a soft dough forms. Turn out onto a floured surface and knead until smooth, about 10 minutes.
• Cover and let rise for 30 minutes.
• Divide dough into 3 equal parts and form into loaves. Place each loaf in a greased bread pan.
• Cover and let rise another 30 minutes. Bake in a 400 degree oven about 30 minutes.
• Remove from oven.
• Turn loaves out onto cooling racks and brush with melted butter to keep crust soft.

BASIC WHITE BREAD

Steps:

• Mix yeast, sugar, and water together in a cup. Let stand for 10 minutes. Mixture should become foamy.
• Put all dry ingredients plus butter into a large bowl. Add the yeast mixture and stir well. Add the remaining water and stir until it becomes too difficult. Then, continue mixing using your bare hands. You want to form a ball of dough that is moist, not wet.
• When the dough has reached the proper consistency, begin kneading. Stretch and fold the dough on a countertop that has been sprinkled with flour. Continue folding and stretching for 10 minutes. The dough should become smooth and elastic.
• When the dough is properly kneaded, form it into a smooth ball and place the ball smooth side up into a lightly greased bowl. Cover the bowl with either a damp towel or a lightly greased piece of plastic wrap and allow to rise until doubled in size. (This could take anywhere from 30 minutes to 2 hours depending on the humidity and temperature.).
• When dough has doubled in size, punch it in the middle to deflate it. Knead the dough again on a lightly floured, but only for 2 minutes. Form the dough into a loaf shape and place it smooth side up into a greased loaf pan. Allow to rise again until it has lifted a couple of inches. (You do not want it bulging over the side of the pan).
• Bake at 425 degrees for 10 minutes, then reduce oven temperature to 350 and bake 20-40 minutes or until loaf is golden brown. (To check to see if the loaf is fully cooked, tip it out of the pan and thump it on the bottom. If it sounds hollow, it is done.).