Basic White Bread

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Here's what you will need


3 cups unbleached All Purpose Flour or maida
2 tbsp butter
1 1/4 cup milk
1/4 cup warm water
1 tbsp Dry active yeast
1 tsp salt
1 tsp sugar
2 tbsp extra virgin  olive oil

The cooking process


  • In a bowl mix warm water, sugar ,salt and active yeast. Keep aside till the mixture turns frothy.
  • In a saucepan add milk and 1 tbsp of butter and turn off the heat once the butter melts. Wait till the mixture turns lukewarm.
  • Sieve the flour 3 times so that it becomes light.
  • In a large bowl, add the yeast mixture and the buttery milk mixture (Make sure the mixture has turned lukewarm).Now adds in the flour a cup at a time. Till u have smooth dough.
  • Knead the dough really well for 10-15 mins.
  • Place the dough and lightly grease the dough with a tsp of oil. Cover with a cling wrap and set aside for an hour.
  • After an hour the dough will be almost double the size. Punch the dough down and knead it well for 5 mins on a floured surface. Shape the dough, grease it lightly with oil and place it in a well greased baking pan and cover with a cling wrap. After 45 mins the dough will rise and is ready for baking.
  • Preheat the oven at 375 deg F.Brush the top of the dough with melted butter and bake for 25-30 mins on the bottom rack of the oven.
  • If you are baking two loaves at a time the loaf pans should not touch each other or the sides of the oven. 
  • To test for "doneness", tap the bottom, it should sound "hollow". If it doesn't, bake a few minutes more.
  • Note that you want to be careful putting the bread in the oven. The bread dough is full of air from the yeast, and if you bang it around too much, you run the risk of knocking some of that air out, leaving you with flatter bread than you might like.
  • When done, immediately remove the loaf from the pan. Set on wire rack so that air can circulate around it. Brush the baked loaf with melted butter to make a soft, tender crust.Let it cool at least 1 hour before slicing and eating. Do not skip this step. If freshly baked bread is sliced too quickly, the inside remains damp and "doughy".
  • You can refrigerate the dough for 4 days in an airtight container.When you are ready to bake divide it in desired shape allow it to rise for couple of hours.Remember the dough isn't at room temperature so it will take a little longer to rise.Brush with melted butter and bake.
  • If you are making dinner rolls then shape the dough balls in sphere and  kept at least 2 inch apart on the baking tray after the first proofing.Bake for 15-20 mins.

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