Bread, bread, bread…how do I love you? Let me count the ways! Sourdough bread is my personal favorite, but I would never turn my nose up to a crusty loaf of artisanal French bread. Wheat bread holds a special place in my heart and so does a hearty flavorful loaf of Rye. I love all the bread! Sometimes a soft fluffy loaf of white bread is ideal. Slices of soft white bread are perfect for sandwiches and French toast. Great for tuna sandwiches, egg salad sandwiches, ham & cheese…PB&J anyone? This light and fluffy bread is also delicious for making grilled cheese sandwiches too! It fries up golden and crispy and light in butter.
This Sandwich Bread recipe comes compliments from the King Arthur Baking Company website. I love that the recipe uses common everyday ingredients that we all have in our pantry and fridge, plus the recipe is for just a single loaf of bread. So many recipes produce two loaves. That’s a whole lotta bread for a family of three. And let’s face it, bread truly is best the day it’s baked, when it’s fresh. This bread is easy to bake up and has a fantastic taste too! Not only is it great for sandwiches, but it’s fantastic toasted and sprinkled with cinnamon & sugar. Did you grow up eating Cinnamon Toast like I did? It’s so yummy, right?
Wanna learn how to bake up a loaf of this delicious bread? Keep reading for step by step easy to follow instructions and lots of illustrations. Before you know it you will be pulling a freshly baked loaf of bread out of the oven.
Start by heating a cup of milk in a saucepan over medium high heat. Bring milk to a simmer. Keep a close eye on it, milk can boil over in an instant and create a big mess on your stove, ask me how I know this…so don’t walk away from the stove.
Place butter in a large mixing bowl. Pour the hot milk over the butter, stir to combine.
Let the mixture cool to room temperature. Once cooled, add yeast, and sugar and stir to combine.
TIP: It’s important to allow the milk and butter mixture to cool to room temperature. If the liquid is too hot it will kill the yeast and the dough won’t rise.
Allow the yeast to soften, about 5 minutes.
Measure out the flour and salt.
TIP: Instead of using a measuring cup, using a kitchen scale to measure the flour is more accurate and will produce the best results.
Add the flour and salt to the yeast mixture in the mixing bowl a little at a time.
Use a wooden spoon or whisk to stir the ingredients together.
Once the flour is incorporated into a shaggy dough.
Turn it out onto a lightly oiled work surface.
Oil your hands and knead the dough for 6-8 minutes until it is smooth, soft and elastic.
If the dough is too sticky add a little flour, if the dough feels too dry add a little milk to obtain the right consistency.
Shape the dough into a ball.
Place dough in a lightly greased bowl.
Cover the bowl with a dish cloth and let it rise until puffy, for about an hour. The dough will increase in size but won’t necessarily double in size.
TIP: During the winter months if your kitchen runs on the colder side, place dough in the oven with the light on to help create the perfect cozy environment for the yeast to really do its thing.
Transfer the dough onto a lightly oiled surface and shape it into an 8 inch long log.
Place the dough in a lightly greased loaf pan.
Cover with a lightly oiled sheet of plastic wrap and allow the dough to rise for an hour.
TIP: Loaf is ready to be baked when it domes about an inch above the rim of the pan and springs back slowly when pressed with your finger.
Preheat oven to 350°F.
Remove plastic wrap and bake loaf for 30-40 minutes, until it’s a light golden brown color. Loaf is done if it sounds hollow when tapped.
Remove bread from the oven and place it on a rack to cool.
Allow the loaf to cool completely to room temperature before slicing into it. Resist the urge to slice into it while it’s still hot.
Store extra bread, sealed in a plastic baggie at room temperature for 2-3 days. Store in the freezer for longer storage.
This loaf of bread is DELICIOUS! It’s soft and flavorful, and a thousand times better than any loaf you can purchase at the market. Your kitchen will smell amazing as it bakes to a lovely golden brown in the oven. Be sure to set out some butter so that it’s nice and soft and ready to spread onto a slice of this delicious bread. You’re going to love this bread, I promise! Thank you King Arthur for this fantastic recipe!!!
King Arthur Sandwich Bread Loaf
Equipment
- 1 loaf pan
Ingredients
- 1 cup whole milk
- 2 tbsp butter
- 2 tsp active dry yeast
- 2 tbsp sugar
- 1¼ tsp salt
- 3 cups all purpose flour, 360 grams
Instructions
- Heat milk in a saucepan over medium high heat. Bring milk to a simmer. Keep a close eye on it, milk can boil over in an instant and create a big mess on your stove.
- Place butter in a large mixing bowl. Pour the hot milk over the butter, stir to combine.
- Let the mixture cool to room temperature.
- Add yeast, and sugar and stir to combine. Allow the yeast to soften, about 5 minutes.
- Measure out flour and salt. Add to the yeast mixture in the mixing bowl a little at a time.
- Use a wooden spoon or whisk to stir the ingredients together.
- Once the flour is incorporated into a shaggy dough, turn it out onto a lightly oil work surface.
- Oil your hands and knead the dough for 6-8 minutes until it is soft and elastic.
- If the dough is too sticky add a little flour, if the dough feels too dry add a little milk to obtain the right consistency. Using a scale instead of measuring cups to measure out the flour will provide the best results.
- Shape the dough into a ball and place it in a lightly greased bowl.
- Cover the bowl with a dish cloth and let it rise until puffy, about an hour. The dough will increase in size but won't necessarily double in size.
- Transfer the dough onto a lightly oiled surface and shape it into an 8 inch long log.
- Place the dough in a lightly greased loaf pan.
- Cover with a lightly oiled sheet of plastic wrap and allow the dough to rise for an hour.
- Loaf is ready to be baked when it domes about an inch above the rim of the pan and springs back slowly when pressed with your finger.
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- Remove plastic wrap and bake loaf for 30-35 minutes, until it's a light golden brown color. Loaf is done if it sounds hollow when tapped.
- Remove bread from the oven and place it on a rack. Allow the loaf to cool completely to room temperature before slicing into it.
- Store extra bread, sealed in a plastic baggie at room temperature for 2-3 days. Store in the freezer for longer storage.
Notes
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Romans 15:13
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