King Arthur Sandwich Bread Loaf
A light, fluffy loaf of white bread that's perfect for sandwiches.
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
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.