Description
Homemade buttery white bread delight brings comfort and warmth to kitchens worldwide. Bakers can craft this simple yet satisfying loaf with basic ingredients, creating a golden-brown masterpiece you’ll savor slice by slice.
Ingredients
Scale
- 3.25 cups (780 ml) all-purpose flour
- 1 packet (7 g) or 2.25 tsps active dry yeast
- 1 cup (240 ml) warm water
- 0.25 cup (60 ml) unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 1 tsp (5 ml) salt
Instructions
- Dry Ingredient Fusion: Meticulously combine flour, salt, and active dry yeast in a roomy mixing bowl, ensuring uniform ingredient integration.
- Liquid Mixture Preparation: Merge room-temperature melted butter with warm water (110°F to 115°F), creating a silky foundation for the dough’s rich texture.
- Dough Formation: Blend liquid ingredients into dry mixture, stirring until a cohesive, slightly rough dough materializes, avoiding excessive handling.
- Dough Conditioning: Knead the dough on a floured surface for 7-8 minutes, developing gluten networks that provide structure and elasticity, transforming the mixture into a smooth, responsive mass.
- First Fermentation: Place dough in a greased bowl, cover with a kitchen towel, and rest in a warm, undisturbed location for 60-75 minutes until volume doubles, allowing yeast to work its transformative magic.
- Shaping and Preparation: Gently deflate dough, divide into two equal portions, and mold into smooth loaves that nestle perfectly into greased 9-inch by 5-inch loaf pans.
- Final Proofing and Baking: Cover loaves and let rise for 35-45 minutes. Preheat oven to 375°F, positioning rack centrally, then bake for 32-38 minutes until loaves develop a golden-amber crust and produce a hollow sound when tapped.
- Cooling and Finishing: Remove bread from oven, rest in pans for 12 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack, allowing complete cooling to enhance slicing and flavor development.
Notes
- Precise Yeast Activation: Ensure water temperature is between 110-115°F for optimal yeast performance, preventing dormant or killed yeast that can ruin bread texture.
- Kneading Mastery: Develop gluten by kneading consistently for 6-8 minutes, creating elasticity and structural strength that determines bread’s final texture and rise.
- Proofing Perfection: Choose a warm, draft-free location for rising, maintaining consistent temperature around 80-85°F to help dough double in volume effectively.
- Crust Control: Tap bread to check doneness – a hollow sound indicates fully baked loaf, while golden-amber color signals perfect external caramelization.
- Prep Time: 25 minutes
- Cook Time: 40 minutes
- Category: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner, Snacks
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 13
- Calories: 150
- Sugar: 1 g
- Sodium: 115 mg
- Fat: 6 g
- Saturated Fat: 4 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 2 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 20 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 3 g
- Cholesterol: 15 mg