Ingredients:
3 cups unbleached
all-purpose flour
1/2 cup milk
1/2 to 2/3 cup hot water,
enough to make a soft, smooth dough* (see below)
1/4 cup melted butter or
vegetable oil
2 tablespoons sugar
1 1/4 teaspoons salt
1 packet active dry yeast
dissolved in 1 tablespoon warm water
*Mix cold milk with hot
tap water to make lukewarm liquid before adding to remainder of ingredients
Instructions
1.
To make the
dough: In a large bowl, combine all of the ingredients and stir until the dough
starts to leave the sides of the bowl. Transfer the dough to a lightly greased
surface, oil your hands, and knead it for 6 to 8 minutes, or until it begins to
become smooth and supple. Or mix and knead the dough using an electric mixer or
food processor, or in a bread machine set to the dough or manual cycle.
2.
Transfer the
dough to a lightly greased bowl, cover the bowl, and allow the dough to rise
until puffy though not necessarily doubled in bulk, about 1 to 2 hours,
depending on the warmth of your kitchen. If you're using a bread machine, allow
the machine to complete its cycle, then leave the dough in the machine until
it's doubled in bulk, perhaps an additional 30 minutes or so.
3.
Gently deflate
the dough and transfer it to a lightly oiled work surface. Shape the dough into
an 8" log.
4.
Place the log in
a lightly greased 8 1/2" x 4 1/2" loaf pan, cover the pan loosely
with lightly greased plastic wrap, and allow the bread to rise for about 60
minutes, until it's domed about 1" above the edge of the pan. A finger
pressed into the dough should leave a mark that rebounds slowly. Towards the
end of the rise, preheat your oven to 350°F.
5.
Bake the bread for
30 to 35 minutes, until it is light golden brown. Test it for doneness by
removing it from the pan and thumping it on the bottom (it should sound hollow)
6.
Remove the bread
from the oven, and cool it on a rack before slicing. Store the bread in a
plastic bag at room temperature for several days; freeze for longer storage.
Yield:
1 loaf.
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