It's been so long since I baked bread or blogged for that matter. I have to say it felt so good to feel that dough in my hands.
I've been looking for a recipe that would hold up to sandwiches when we need a lunch for our homeschool field trips and co-op. The old recipe I used never did well. I haven't tested this one yet but I can already tell it is holding up well. It's a denser bread and has a lovely flavor.
I also love that she has the 3 loaf batch recipe. Let's face it, no one has time to bake fresh bread every morning. Although if you do, please let me know, because somehow there has to be a way that doesn't mean the alarm is going off at some ungodly hour before even King, my rooster, wakes up!
I have shared below how I followed the recipe and the tweaks I made. I didn't need as much flour as the original recipe called for. I also need longer proofing time. The key to bread making is PATIENCE! Also my recipe is only for 1 loaf, not the original 3. I baked mine at 360 instead of the 375 because my oven runs a little hotter.
You can find the original recipe here at Farmgirl Fare.
For you more visual learner Gather For Bread added a short video on their post of this recipe showing the steps.
Farmhouse White Sandwich Bread (1 loaf)
Ingredients:
1 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 Tablespoon yeast
2/3 Tablespoon sugar
2/3 Tablespoon melted butter
1 1/3 cup warm milk
1 1/2 cups (roughly) bread flour
1/2 Tablespoon of salt
Directions:
1. Mix together the all-purpose flour, yeast, and sugar. (This could be done in your Kitchen Aid mixer if you don't want the arm workout.)
2. Make a well in the middle of the flour and add the melted butter then then milk.
3. Continue to mix, adding 1/2 cup of bread flour at a time, until you have added around 1 1/2 to 2 cups and have sticky, shaggy dough.
4. Cover the bowl with a damp tea towel and let it rise for 20 minutes.
5. Add the salt and 1/2 cup more of bread flour, depending on how sticky or dry it is.
6. Turn the dough out onto a floured work surface and knead it with floured hands until the dough is soft and smooth, about 10 minutes. If you need to sprinkle with flour, do so. You want a soft dough not a sticky one.
7. I put my dough in a 6-quart container with a lid and marked where the dough was. You want it to double in size. This will depend on the dough temp and the room temperature. It took mine 1 1/2 hours to double.
8. The dough is ready to shape when you can push a floured finger deep into it and leave an indentation that doesn't spring back.
9. Turn the dough onto a lightly floured work surface and flatten gently with your hands to remove any large air bubbles.
10. Shape the dough into loaves and place seam side down in a greased and floured loaf pan. I used a 9 inch pan.
11. Cover with a damp tea towel and let them rise for another hour.
12. Bake at 375 for 35 minutes. The loaf should be golden brown and the bottom sound hollow if you table it.
13. Place on a wire rack to cool.
14. Enjoy!
