Staple Loaf: Soft and Slightly Sweet

Nothing better than a loaf of fresh bread...

Here's the deal. The four essential ingredients to baking bread are flour, water, yeast, and salt. Easy right? Sort of. There are countless types of bread in different variations, densities, flavors, consistencies, etc...I'll start with a simple loaf recipe. A few ingredients such as butter and sugar are added to give it a slightly richer and sweeter slant.  

Mix the dry ingredients in a large bowl.

If you wish to activate the yeast beforehand to make sure it's still alive and fresh mix it wit warm water (90-100 degrees F) and some sugar. It will dissolve to a paste. Cover for 10 minutes or until bubbles form and it's ready for the  dough.

Add the wet ingredients, except the water.

While you stir add the water until the dough forms into a ball. The flour/water ration depends on the humidity. Too much flour make the bread super dense. It should be sticky but firm. 

Knead for around ten minutes. The more kneading the better the texture of the bread! Push outward with your wrist and don't tear the dough. It will start out sort of crumbly then get smoother the more you knead.

Cover with a cloth or dish towel and let rise in a warm place for around an hour and a half.

Knead and form bread on baking sheet and REPEAT for another hour. Before baking 'score' the top by slashing the bread diagonally a few times with a sharp knife or razor blade (see finished loaf)

Bake at 350 for around 35-40 minutes and...

Viola!. Freshly baked deliciousness.  

The inside turned out very soft, perfect for sandwich bread or just a warm buttered piece of toast.

The loaf was almost gone by the next day = SUCCESS. Things might get a bit crazier down the road so stay tuned!

RECIPE

2 cups all-purpose enriched unbleached flour
1 cup bread flour

 (or all-purpose flour, if you do not have bread flour)
1 teaspoon yeast 

(Use Active Dry Yeast for the best flavor , not rapid rise yeast)
1 teaspoon salt
1/8 cup sugar
1 cup warm milk
2 tablespoons butter
1/4 - 1/2 cup lukewarm water

This Recipe is from: http://www.thefreshloaf.com/