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Simple White Bread for Beginners

Gesine Prado's simple white bread recipe has only 5 ingredients! With and a little hands-on time for kneading and shaping, your kitchen will be filled with the aroma of freshly baked bread in no time!

Yield 2 (8½x4½-inch) loaves

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Ingredients

2 cups (454g) lukewarm water (100°F)
2 tablespoons (25g) extra virgin olive oil
2 teaspoons (12g) fine sea salt
1 tablespoon (10g) granulated sugar
5 cups (600g) bread flour
1 (0.25oz) package (7g) or 2 1/4 teaspoons Platinum Yeast

Instructions

In a large mixing bowl, add the water, olive oil, salt and sugar.
Add the flour to separate bowl and then the yeast. Stir/whisk to combine. Add to the water mixture.
Using a wooden spoon or a Danish dough whisk, stir until most of the flour is absorbed into the dough. Turn the dough over with your hands in the bowl a few times to work in the rest of the flour. The dough will look very shaggy.
Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface. Set aside a small bowl of flour (‘bench flour’) to use during kneading as needed.
Knead the dough by gently flattening the dough into a rough 8×11-inch rectangle. Grab the top half and fold over, folding the dough in half. Use your palm to push dough forward, "sealing" the dough at the fold seam. Turn the dough 90 degrees and fold, seal and turn again. Knead for 10-12 minutes, or until the dough is shiny and smooth and stays put when shaped into a taut ball. Another way to test if the dough is kneaded enough is to poke it with your index finger, and if the dough springs back it is ready. (See notes for stand mixer directions.)
Place the dough into an oiled bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Allow to double in size in a warm place, about an hour.
Prepare pans: spray two 8½ x 4½-inch bread pans with nonstick spray.
Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Divide the dough in half (approximate 550g for each half). Press one dough into a rough 8×12-inch rectangle (this also de-gasses the dough). Fold one long side edge over to the middle, repeat with other long edge; pinch seam in middle to seal. Starting at the short edge on the top, gently roll the dough up towards you, pressing down and pushing slightly forward with each turn. Place into prepared pan, seam side down. Repeat with other dough piece. Spray tops of dough with nonstick spray and cover bowl with plastic wrap or a shower cap.
Proof loaves until doubled in size and the dough rises to crest or dome slightly above the edge of the loaf pan, about one hour. If an indentation remains after lightly touching the risen loaf, it has risen enough.
Preheat oven to 350°F.
Bake at for 30-35 minutes or until the bread is golden brown and the internal temperature of the bread reads 200ºF.
While bread is still warm, rub butter over the top of the crust.
Remove loaves from pans and let cool on a wire rack.
Bread can be stored in an airtight container for up to a week. To freeze bread: wrap completely cooled loaf well in plastic wrap, and then wrap again in foil. Freeze for up to one month.

Notes

Stand mixer directions:

Add water, olive oil, salt, and sugar to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook.
Add the flour and yeast.
Mix on medium-low speed until the dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl, is shiny, and a small piece of dough, stretched thin, does not tear, about 7 to 10 minutes. (Note: If dough is too wet/sticky after the first couple minutes of mixing, add in additional flour – 1 tablespoon at a time – until your dough becomes more cohesive. Be careful not to add in too much flour!)
Continue with step 6.

Recipe was developed using King Arthur bread flour. Adjustments in the amount of flour and kneading/rise times may be needed if using other flour brands.

Recipe by Gesine Prado.