Basic Sandwich Bread

This is a great recipe for those starting out on their breadmaking skills. I've been through a few different recipes, and this one is my favorite. It always turns out great and is pretty simple. I no longer buy organic bread at $3-4 a loaf. It's just dumb. I began making my own. Really, anytime I need a bread product for a dish, I look for a recipe and try making it. I am still perfecting my skills in this area, but the process is not hard. Just a little time-consuming. This would be a fun weekend project for those who work full-time. Get your kids involved and teach them a great skill.

I make sure to use organic flour and sugar (great prices at Costco), as well as NON-GMO active dry yeast. One day, I will be making my own flour and yeast, but until then, this is what I am going with. Here is the original recipe. This makes 2 loaves, so I always pop one in the freezer for later.

We are mainly a gluten-free household now, but I am still perfecting many of those recipes. It is quite tricky to get gluten-free breads with just the right texture. I will post them as I go.

Ingredients

1 packet of active dry yeast

2 1/4 cups warm water

1/4 cup sugar

1-2 tablespoons salt

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

5 1/2-6 1/2 cups flour

melted butter for topping

In a large bowl, add the yeast, warm water, and a little handful of sugar. Wait about 10 minutes for the yeast to get bubbly. Place the sugar, salt, oil, and 4 cups of flour. Play around with the amount of salt to ensure that the bread does not come out bland. Mix these ingredients together until nicely incorporated. Slowly add the remaining flour until the dough is slightly sticky.

At this point, I simply knead the bread right in the bowl for about 5 minutes. This cuts down on your mess and cleanup time. Leave the dough in the bowl and form it into a ball. Add a little more oil, and flip the dough around until lightly coated. Place a clean towel over the bowl and stick it in a warm place to rise for about 1 hour. I love my laundry room. It does not have an air vent and has an exterior door with a window. It really makes for a wonderful bread-rising room ha.

After the dough has doubled, punch it and cut it in half. Roll out each half into a rectangle, about 6" by 8". Roll the rectangle up to make it look like a log. Add each log (seam side down) to an oiled loaf baking dish. Place them back in the warm spot with the towel over top. Let this rise for at least another hour until the tops come over the baking dishes.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Make one large slit down the middle of the loaves. Mine tend to have big air pockets if I do not do this. Bake for about 30-35 minutes, depending on your oven. You may have to make 1-2 batches before getting this down perfectly (I know I did). Once finished, brush the melted butter over top. I highly recommend this step as it makes the loaves slightly more moist and easier to slice. Remove the loaves from the pans and place on a baking rack to cool. That's it, you're done!