Everyday Bread Recipe

How to make it

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• In work bowl of stand mixer or large bowl, mix together all of the wheat flour, 9 oz (about 2 cups) of bread flour, yeast and dry milk.
• In a small bowl, mix together butter, water, sugar, and honey. Pour wet into dry, and mix with dough hook (or wooden spoon) for 3 minutes at a low speed to incorporate everything. You will have a very sticky dough.
• Cover with towel and let sit 20 mins--this is called autolyse, and gives the dough a chance to hydrate.
• Mix dough:
• Sprinkle in the salt and about half the bread flour, mixing on low speed.
• Alternatively, sprinkle on salt slowly as you knead.
• Continue to knead at medium-low speed for 7 minutes, or about 10 by hand, adding flour as needed so that the dough clears the sides and the bottom* of the work bowl--if doing by hand, dough will feel just a little sticky. If you find you need more flour than is called for, don't panic--use what you need. Just add it slowly, giving the dough a chance to take it in.
• Rise: Place dough in an oiled bowl or straight-sided container, and mark where dough will be when doubled. Cover with lid or plastic wrap, and place in a warm area, ideally 75-80 degrees. If it's chilly, I like to place my dough on the lowest setting of a heating pad with a folded towel under the bowl.
• Allow to double, which will take 45minutes to an hour.
• Punch dough down, turn out onto a lightly floured board. Gently make a round-shaped ball, tucking edges under.
• Cover with towel or wrap, and let rest 10 minutes.
• To shape, roll dough into a large rectangle, as wide as your loaf pan. Roll up lengthwise, and place into oiled standard loaf pan.
• Cover, let rise until dough is about 1 1/2 inches over the rim of the pan, about an hour.
• Meanwhile, preheat oven to 350 for at least 30 minutes. Have an old pan on the floor of your oven.
• To incorporate steam, have a cup of ice cubes ready. Uncover bread and place into middle of oven. Toss ice cubes into heated pan, and shut door right away.
• Bake 20 minutes. Turn bread for even cooking, and bake 15-25 more minutes, until temperature reaches 195 degrees inside the loaf. It should be golden brown and sound hollow when thumped.
• Remove from pan and let cool at least 30 minutes on a rack--I know, I know, I can never make it that long, either. But try, it will slice much easier for you and hold its shape much better.
• Quick Tip I discovered accidentally--if you bag your bread when it is still just slightly warm, the condensation on the inside will soften the crust slightly, and the bread will stay extremely soft, like the preservative-laden ones you buy at the store. Don't ask me why, and it's supposed to be a no-no, but it works every time for soft loaves and rolls.
• Note--if you don't have dry milk, cut water to 1/2 cup, and use 1 cup milk that has been scalded and cooled instead.
• * I have found that bread slices more easily when the dough is a bit firmer, and prefer to add flour to make a dough that's not sticky at all, but satiny. If you like a looser texture or are making rolls, add less flour and leave the dough a little sticky.
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