Basic White Bread

A basic recipe for the universal white bread to go with your variety of spreads, or to become the core of your toasties, sandwiches and bread puddings.

Yield: Makes 18 slices
Prep Time: 30 mins
Cook Time: 45 mins
Difficulty Level: 2/5

Ingredients

• 3 tsps (10 g) dried yeast
• 2 tsps caster (superfine) sugar
• ⅔ cup (160 ml) warm water
• 2½ cups (375 g) plain (all-purpose) flour
• 1 tsp salt
• 30 g butter, melted
• ½ cup (125ml) warm milk

Steps

01. Whisk yeast, sugar and the water in a small bowl until yeast dissolves. Cover; stand in a warm place for 10 mins or until mixture is frothy.

02. Sift flour and salt into a large bowl; stir in butter, milk and yeast mixture to a soft dough. Knead dough on a floured surface for 10 mins or until dough is smooth and elastic. Place dough into an oiled large bowl. Cover; stand in a warm place for 1 hr or until dough has doubled in size.

03. Preheat oven to 200 C. Oil a 10cm deep, 9 cm x 22 cm bread loaf tin.

04. Turn dough onto a floured surface; knead for 1 min or until smooth. Divide dough in half. Roll each half into a ball; place side-by-side in bread tin. Dust with a little extra flour; cover with plastic wrap. Stand in a warm place for 20 mins or until dough has doubled in size.

05. Bake bread for 45 mins or until it sounds hollow when tapped. Turn onto a wire rack to cool.

TIP

Bread can be frozen or as a whole loaf for up to three months.

Photo: bauersyndication.com.au