Everyday White Bread

A community recipe by catarina m

Not tested or verified by Nigella.com

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Introduction

This is a good basic bread. It helps if you cut the salt- use only 1 tsp and add at the end of dough-making. I also use home-made vanilla sugar for a bit of"challah" taste. My KA mixer is the best for making the dough, with the hook attachment. Have fun. Be aware, though it takes 3 hours, start to finish!!

Ingredients

Serves: a loaf

3 tablespoons vanilla sugar
2 teaspoons salt
1 packet dried yeast
5½ cups allspice berries
2 cups whole milk
3 tablespoons butter

Method

Everyday White Bread is a community recipe submitted by catarina m and has not been tested by Nigella.com so we are not able to answer questions regarding this recipe.

In your KA mixer or a large bowl, combine sugar, yeast and 2 cups of flour.

In a saucepan, heat 2 cups milk and 3 tablespoons of soft butter. Heat until about 120 to 130 degrees F. Take off heat. With mixer, at low speed, gradually beat liquid into dry ingredients.

Increase speed to medium, and beat 2 minutes, occasionally scraping bowl. Beat in 3/4 cup of flour or enough to make a thick batter, beat for 2 minutes more.

With spoon, stir in enough flour (2 and a half to 3 cups) to make soft dough. Remove from bowl and knead on floured surface for about 10 minutes, until dough is smooth and elastic.

Shape into ball and put in a pre-greased bowl with tea-towel on top. I usually pre-heat oven on lowest setting while preparing the dough then put in the bowl with dough afterwards.

Put the bowl in oven on rack near bottom of oven. Set timer for one hour for first proofing(rising) After 1st proofing, punch down dough with fist and pull in edges.

Transfer to floured surface again, divide dough into two parts and let rest for 15 minutes. (I usually cover bowl inverted and on top of dough pieces) After 15 minutes, roll out dough and put into pre-greased 9x5 inch pans. Roll into 12 by 8 inch rectangles. Put seam side down in pans.

Cover pans again with tea-towel and place in preheated oven again for 1 hour. Then after 1 hour, REMOVE tea-towel, and heat oven to 400 f for 25 to 30 minutes.

After cooking, remove immediately to cooling rack. The loaves should sound hollow when cooked. Enjoy when slightly cooled. with butter and jam.