Country White Sandwich Bread

Call me crazy, call me lazy, call me what you will, but sometimes I love nothing more than spending a hot summer day locked up inside the air-conditioned house, flittering back and forth from an unfinished book, to the Tivo, to the kitchen, and back again. Sometimes I even slip in a nap or two. (Shhh… Don’t tell Walt.)

You see, I’ve had a little lot of spare time on my hands. And with this spare time comes lots of all-day kitchen projects. Last week I was canning 20 pounds of peaches, this week I’ve been up to my ears in chocolate chip cookies. I’ve also been baking a lot of bread, which is actually easier than you might think. 

And while this recipe does take a bit of waiting (in which I’m sure you working folks can find something to entertain yourself with. I recommend reading Dixie Caviar from start to finish), I promise you it’s worth every second. You have no idea of the powers of homemade bread until you serve a slice of it just-from-the-oven with a schmear of honey butter and a sprinkle of sea salt. The look on your boyfriend’s face? Well, let’s just say he’ll be like putty in your hands. 

There’s endless opportunities for this yeasty goodness. Why just today, I had some plump garden tomatoes ripening on my counter, just ready to be eaten. I slathered some mayo on the bread (please forgive me, it was not homemade), piled on a few drippy tomato slices, and generously sprinkled it all over with kosher salt and ground pepper. A couple of months ago, I offered up this same bread as a hostess gift, swaddled in a vintage dish towel. It was a home run. And ya’ know, gift giving just doesn’t get any more Southern than that.

COUNTRY WHITE SANDWICH BREAD

Source: Adapted from The New School of Cooking

1 tablespoon dry yeast (1 package)
1/4 cup warm water (105 -110 degrees)
2 cups milk
2 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons butter, melted
5 – 6 cups all-purpose or bread flour
2 teaspoons salt

In a small bowl, sprinkle yeast over warm water. Allow to proof until creamy, about 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, heat the milk until just scalded and remove from burner. Add sugar and butter. Allow to cool to 105 – 110 degrees, then add the yeast mixture.

Pour milk mixture into a large bowl. Add 2 cups of flour and stir together until smooth. Add salt. Continue adding more flour, cup by cup, until a ball of dough has formed (err toward the sticky side here. Yeast – a.k.a. flavor – thrives in moisture). Remove the dough to a floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic. Add flour as necessary to keep from sticking to hands and table.

Place dough in a well oiled bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Allow it to rise in a warm, dry place until doubled in size (usually takes a little over an hour, but don’t be married to time). Punch down dough and place in a greased loaf pan. Allow to rise again until doubled in size (this will take less time than the first).

Heat oven to 400 degrees. Bake bread for approximately 30 -40 minutes. Bread is done when internal temperature reaches 190 degrees and when it makes a hollow sound when tapped on the bottom side. YIELDS: 1 loaf

Kitchen tip: The bread in the picture does not have an egg wash. For a darker, more golden crust, brush the dough with a lightly beaten egg before putting in the oven. For a crispier dough, use just the egg white, and for a shinier crust, use just the yolk.

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Tagged as: loaf, sandwich bread, white bread, yeast bread