I've made a lot of bread recipes and this one has become my absolute favorite! I make a batch every couple of weeks!
Ingredients:
- 4½teaspoonsinstant yeast(two 0.25-ounce packets)
- ¾cup+ 2⅔ cups warm water(divided)
- ¼cupgranulated sugar
- 1tablespoonsalt
- 3tablespoonsunsalted butter, cubed, at room temperature
- 9 to 10cupsall-purpose flour
- 3tablespoonsunsalted butter(melted, for brushing)
Directions:
- In the bowl of a mixer, stir to dissolve the yeast in ¾ cup of the warm water, and let sit for 5 minutes. Add the remaining 2⅔ cups water, sugar, salt, room temperature butter, and 5 cups of the flour and stir to combine.
- Using a dough hook, mix on low speed and gradually add the remaining flour until the dough is soft and tacky, but not sticky (you may not need to use all of the flour). Continue to knead until a soft ball of dough forms and clears the sides of the bowl, about 7 to 10 minutes.
- Place the dough in a lightly greased bowl and turn it over so it is completely coated. Cover with plastic wrap and set in a draft-free place to rise until doubled in size, about 45 minutes to 1 hour.
- Turn the dough out onto a clean, lightly floured surface. Gently press it all over to remove any air pockets. Divide the dough in two and, working with one piece at a time, gently pat it into a 9x12-inch rectangle. Roll up the rectangle, starting on the short end, into a very tight cylinder. Pinch to seal the seams and the ends, tuck the ends of the roll until the bread, and place into greased 9-inch loaf pans. Cover the loaves loosely and place in a draft-free area until doubled in size, 30 to 45 minutes.
- Position an oven rack on the lowest setting and preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
- Brush the loaves with some of the melted butter. Bake the loaves for 30 to 35 minutes, rotating halfway through, until golden brown (an instant-read thermometer inserted into the center should read 195 degrees F).
- Remove from the oven and immediately brush with more of the melted butter. Allow to cool for 10 minutes, then remove from the pans and cool completely before slicing. The bread can be stored in an airtight bread bag or wrapped tightly in plastic wrap at room temperature for up to 4 days. It can also be frozen for up to 1 month.
Recipe Notes:
Note #1: This recipe can be halved to make only one loaf. Note #2: You can substitute active dry yeast for the instant yeast. Ensure that it is indeed activated in step #1 before continuing, and note that the rise times will be slightly longer. Nutritional values are based on one serving
Nutrition:
Calories: 253kcal
Fat: 4g
Saturated fat: 2g
Cholesterol: 9mg
Sodium: 352mg
Potassium: 85mg
Carbohydrates: 46g
Fiber: 2g
Sugar: 2g
Protein: 6g
Vitamin A: 2.1%
Calcium: 1%
Iron: 14.8%
I just made this to use at a bake sale. Well, lets just say I am on the second batch now because i could not resist the smell. Thank you for a wonderful bread.
Excited to try this. I’m no fan of soft, fluffy white bread but my husband is, so I thought I’d try making some for him. My Kitchen Aid mixer is on the fritz, so I guess I’ll have to hand knead it. You mentioned halving the recipe.. would I halve every single ingredient needed, ie., the salt, sugar, etc. ? How long would I need to hand knead this for each rise? I’ll give this a shot and see how hubs likes it. I’m sure he will!
I’ve made this bread a half a dozen times. Comes out great every time. I would like to know if you can add any nuts or seeds to the last kneading process, or if this will work in this recipe.
best bread ever
choked on it but worth choking on it
best bread ever
choked on it but worth it
have been making this bread for around 8 months now comes out great every time and the whole family enjoys it. will be a family bread for a long time to come . thank you for sharing this recipe will try many more in the future
Beautiful, thank you so much for sharing! This will be a regular bake in my household.
The best recipe for bread! My hubby ate it all before it got cold!!!!!
Made this bread yesterday. Halved the recipe and made just one loaf to see what it is like. It is brilliant and so easy to make. Bit too much salt for me, one teaspoon is plenty. Stays nice and soft and slices easily. Will definitely male it again.
I made this bread today, it is awesome!
Awesome recipe! Third time making it. Always turns out great. I get 3 loaves of bread from it and have never used more than 7.5 – 8 cups of flour. I also use bread flour, verse all-purpose. I also add a couple punches of sugar with the yeast when I proof it.
Great recipe! Made it today! Very easy and so tasty. I kept one out and froze another one. Will be making again for sure. Thanks!
I made this bread and it was great! It was so good, I adapted it to my family’s favorite whole wheat recipe which never turns out fluffy and big. It worked. Even without a bread hook (hand kneaded), the whole wheat loaf is perfect! Yes!
did you alter any thing but the flour? Was the flour exchange exact cup for cup? Definitely want to try for a good lofty whole wheat loaf.
I have not made this bread. I want to start baking breads, I have stayed away from bread making for some reason. I was wondering if you could make this bread in a bread machine?
I have made the dough in a bread machine by halving the recipe, but I transferred to a 9 inch loaf pan for the final rise and baked in an oven. It turned out great!
Needed a bread recipe for nice light fluffy bread and this is definitely it.
My bread came out with a nice crusting and the inside was so soft.
Thank you for sharing this recipe
I’ve made this recipe 4 times now and it’s awesome. It’s exactly like the bread I grew up with in England and my husband loves it. It freezes very well. I discovered quite accidentally that it is even better if you extend the rising times by 30 mins. It gives a softer texture. Thanks for this wonderful recipe.
Made the bread dough in the bread machine then baked it in the oven. I will be using this receipt for many more loaves of bread. It was beautiful, tender and delicious!
Thank you so much! I made bread for the first time yesterday using this recipe and it turned out fantastic! Perfect and the crust was delicious. I didn’t have a mixer so did it by hand. Not hard just a little shoulder/elbow grease. It was such a hit and so fun that I made it again today at my friend’s house who has a mixer. Turned out just as great. I also made the sponge last night for your Ciabatta recipe and made 2 batches of that today as well. My first foray into bread making and I’m thrilled! The Ciabatta is full of beautiful holes and perfectly chewy and tasty. My friend was very impressed. Thanks again, your recipes are bang on and delicious! Cant wait to make focacia and english muffins next!
Easy recipe I made 3 loaves from the same quantity because my bread tins were not of 9″ but more the better nobody’s complaining everyone loved it Thankyou for sharing the recipe with us
So I’m new to bread making and I accidentally ordered the big, hearth bread pans, which are 12x5x2.something. Instead of making 2 loaves, can I put all the dough into one of these?