White Sandwich Bread

This recipe was super easy to whip up with my new stand mixer--I would say I spent maybe 15-20 minutes total...not bad for fresh-baked bread! Even if you're doing it by hand, it comes together very easily (everything in one bowl) and the dough seemed to have no problems with rising, etc. All in all, a simple recipe and a simple loaf--no complex flavors here, but the bread was light and fluffy, and made a great sandwich...basically everything you want from something called "white sandwich bread." My housemate and I ate about half the loaf in one sitting...hey, it's hard to cut thin slices of fresh, warm bread!

I made delicious sandwiches with the bread: a great caramelized onion mustard I got in Sonoma with my parents, thinly sliced avocado, and sharp Wisconsin cheddar. Amazing!

White Sandwich Bread (from King Arthur Flour)

3 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup milk
1/2 to 2/3 cup hot water, enough to make a soft, smooth dough
4 T (1/2 stick) melted butter or 4 T vegetable oil
2 T sugar
1 1/4 tsp salt
1 packet active dry yeast dissolved in 1 T warm water OR 2 tsp instant yeast
1 T cold butter

Mix the cold milk with 1/2 c hot water to make a luke-warm liquid. In a large bowl, combine all of the ingredients and stir till the dough starts to leave the sides of the bowl. Transfer the dough to a lightly greased surface, oil your hands, and knead it for 6 to 8 minutes, or until it begins to become smooth and supple. (I did this stage in my stand mixer, which worked as well). Transfer the dough to a lightly greased bowl, cover the bowl, and allow the dough to rise till puffy though not necessarily doubled in bulk, about 60 minutes, depending on the warmth of your kitchen.

Transfer the dough to a lightly oiled work surface. Press/roll it out to a rectangle the length of your loaf pan. Press out any air bubbles and then roll up the dough into a log. Place the log in a lightly greased loaf pan, cover the pan loosely with lightly greased plastic wrap, and allow the bread to rise for about 60 minutes, until it’s domed about 1 inch above the edge of the pan. A finger pressed into the dough should leave a mark that rebounds slowly.

Bake the bread in a preheated 350°F oven for about 30-35 minutes, until it’s golden brown. Test it for doneness by removing it from the pan and thumping it on the bottom (it should sound hollow), or by measuring its interior temperature with an instant-read thermometer (it should register 190°F at the center of the loaf). Remove the bread from the oven and immediately rub the top crust all over with butter. Let the loaf cool for 10-15 minutes, and then remove from pan. Store any leftovers in a plastic bag at room temperature.