White Bread

I grew up on good homemade bread, both wheat and white.  We would start cutting into the bread while it was still almost too hot to touch, and have the first loaf polished off before it could cool.

One of my most favorite snacks is a thick slice of hot fresh bread, smothered in butter and homemade strawberry freezer jam.  And the best dinner I’ve had consisted of fresh bread, fresh goats milk, cheese, and the fresh veggies from our garden. All such simple dishes, and yet all so delicious and memorable!

I’ve been making bread off and on over the last 6 years.  Most of that time having to mix and knead it all by hand.  Now that I have a Kitchen Aid it is so much more fun, and much easier, to make bread.

I’ve been experimenting with sourdough for a while now.  But when I get behind on baking, or just keeping the starter fed regularly, I break out my mom’s white bread recipe.   Other than switching out the shortening for coconut oil (in its solid state) I follow it to a T.  And I rarely, if ever have any issues with it.

You will need:

1/4 cup sugar or honey

1 Tablespoon active dry yeast

2 cups warm water, about 110 degrees Fahrenheit

1/2 Tablespoon salt

4 tablespoons cool coconut oil

6-7 cups flour (I find it easier to measure my flour by weight, which would be 27 – 31.5 oz)

You start out by combining your sugar or honey, active dry yeast, and warm water (I usually go feel, but what is warm to me may be hot/cold to someone else, so I had to refer to the side of the yeast jar for a temperature.  I needs to be about 110 degrees Fahrenheit.) Then I let it sit for 5 minutes so the yeast can bubble up.  (I guess some people call it blooming or something like that…)

After 5 minutes I add the salt, coconut oil, and about 3-4 cups flour.  I let that all mix together on low.  As it mixes I slowly add the rest of the flour until the dough is no longer sticky.  You want it to be tacky, but not sticky.  Then I let it knead for about 8-10 minutes.

Ready to raise

I put about 1 Tablespoon oil (confession time, I have never measured it, so I am just throwing out a number and hope it is right…) in another large bowl.  I form the dough into a large ball, put it into the bowl, then turn to coat it, and the bowl, in oil.  Then it gets covered and set in a warm location to raise until doubled in size, 45 minutes to an hour.

Doubled in size

After punching it down I let it rest while I grease two 9×5 inch bread pans.  I divide the dough in half, shape into loaves, and place into the bread pans.  It is then set aside to raise until doubled again.  This time for about 30 minutes.  Halfway through raising I preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

Ready to bake!

Once doubled in size you bake it for 30 minutes.  I test to see if it is done by taking the loaf out of the pan and lightly thumping on the bottom.  If it sounds hollow it is done.   I then butter the top of the bread.  From what I’ve read you are supposed to let it fully cool to finish cooking before you cut into it.  I rarely have the self-control to wait that long.  It’s up to you.

Enjoy!