Learning to bake bread is a lifetime skill. Understanding how to bake bread is more than just knowing a great recipe.

Simple ingredients with so many possibilities

Bread is easy when you understand the dough. Don’t let this discourage you. The goal of this post is to give you what you need to make the perfect loaf.

To get started we need to talk about yeast. Yeast is the essential leavening agent in most bread recipes. Learning how yeast interacts with other ingredients, ambient temperature and moisture levels gives you an edge when baking the perfect bread. Higher kitchen temperatures causes the yeast to rise quicker than a kitchen that is colder. Humidity also plays a factor.

Mastering the Art: Baking the Perfect White Bread

There’s a reason white bread remains a staple – its versatility and comforting flavor are undeniable. But achieving that perfect loaf, soft and fluffy on the inside with a beautiful golden crust, can seem like a mystery. With a little information and practice you can create the perfect loaf of bread every time.

The Science Behind the Rise: Understanding Yeast and Humidity

The magic of bread lies in the power of yeast. These tiny organisms are responsible for fermentation, a process where they consume sugars in the dough and release carbon dioxide. This gas gets trapped by the gluten (more on that later) in the flour, causing the dough to rise.

Humidity plays a crucial role too. A drier environment can hinder yeast activity, resulting in a denser loaf. Conversely, too much moisture can make the dough sticky and difficult to handle. Aim for a moderately humid environment in your kitchen, especially during proofing (we’ll get to that in a bit).

Kneading: Building Gluten Strength

Kneading is essential for developing gluten, the protein network that gives bread its structure. As you knead the dough, the gluten strands stretch and strengthen, creating a framework that traps the carbon dioxide produced by the yeast. This allows the dough to rise and maintain its shape while baking. Proper kneading ensures a light and airy crumb (the inside of the bread) once baked.

The Art of Proofing: Patience is Key

After kneading, the dough needs time to rise – this is called proofing. During this stage, the yeast continues to produce carbon dioxide, causing the dough to double in size. There are two proofing steps:

Bulk Proofing: The dough rests in a warm bowl, covered, until it doubles in size.
Shaping and Final Proof: After shaping the dough into its desired form (loaf, rolls, etc.), it undergoes a final proofing to allow for further rise.

Patience is key! Don’t be tempted to cut proofing short. An under-proofed loaf will be dense and heavy, while an over-proofed loaf may collapse during baking. Proofing is the essential step where dough transforms from a heavy dense ball to a billowy masterpiece. Here’s where patience meets magic: find a warm, draft-free spot for your dough to rest in a covered bowl. The dough should ideally double in size, so resist the urge to peek too often – each peek lets out precious warmth. A gentle fingertip test can be your friend – press lightly on the dough; if the indentation remains, it needs more time. When a slight indentation springs back, your dough is perfectly proofed and ready to bake its way to golden glory

The Golden Touch: The Importance of an Egg Wash

Brushing the surface of your dough with an egg wash before baking adds a touch of magic. The egg wash creates a beautiful golden brown crust, adding a subtle richness and a slight sheen. It also helps the bread retain moisture during baking.

So, the next time you crave a perfect loaf of white bread, remember these key elements:

Active yeast: Ensure your yeast is fresh and alive for optimal rise.
Moderate humidity: Create a comfortable environment for your yeast to thrive.
Knead with purpose: Develop the gluten for a light and airy crumb.
Proof with patience: Allow the dough enough time to rise for a perfect texture.
Egg wash for shine: Brush the dough with an egg wash for a beautiful golden crust.

With a little practice and these baking secrets in your arsenal, you’ll be well on your way to becoming a white bread baking pro! So, preheat your oven, gather your ingredients, and get ready to experience the joy of fresh-baked bread at its finest.

Gathering the Right Ingredients

A simple bread recipe required flour, salt, yeast butter and water. You will see variations of these core ingredients when researching the many different kinds of bread you can make. This recipe is versatile and I am sure you are going to love it as much as me and my family so let’s gather our ingredients.

How Do I Chose The Best Yeast

When choosing your yeast take into consideration how much bread you are making and how often you make it. Yeast is alive. When activated it eats the sugars in the flour and grows. Yeast will not grow if it is dead. Old yeast will not react as well as fresh yeast. You can purchase dry yeast or fresh yeast.

How Do You Store Dry Yeast

Dry yeast is found in the baking isle and does not require refrigeration until opened. When selecting a yeast look for the “Best By” date printed on the package. Once the yeast is opened it remains viable up to 4 months when stored in the refrigerator and up to 6 months in the freezer. Always store in an airtight container because exposure to light, oxygen and or heat can affect the yeast’s ability to activate. I use dry yeast more often than fresh yeast because of the light flavor. My favorite yeast is Scratch Gold Yeast because it is a quick rise dry yeast.

What is the difference between dry and Fresh Yeast

Fresh yeast is sometimes available in the refrigerated section of grocery stores, usually near butter or canned cinnamon roll dough. It can also be found in the dairy section or bakery section of larger stores. Some stores may only carry fresh yeast seasonally, or not at all. You can also try health food stores or local bakers.

Fresh yeast, also known as compressed yeast or cake yeast, is highly perishable and needs to be refrigerated, where it will typically last about one to two weeks. If frozen, it can last up to six months, but you should let it reach room temperature before using it. Fresh yeast can give baked goods a richer, deeper, and more yeasty flavor than dry yeast, but some bakers can substitute dry yeast in its place.

How Do You chose the right flour for baking?

Not all flour is created equal. There are so many different brands in your local grocery store. My all time favorite flour that I use in almost all of my baking is Turkey Flour. I buy this is 25lb bags from Lehi Roller Mills (the very same place where Footloose was shot-shout out to all my Kevin Bacon fans) I have tried several kinds of flour from the cheapest to most expensive and this flour is the best for making bread, muffins, cakes rolls etc.

Turkey flour is named after the grain’s origin. Turkey flour refers to a type of hard red winter wheat flour that originated in Turkey and has been grown in Europe for centuries. In the 1870s, Mennonite immigrants from Russia brought Turkey Red wheat to Kansas, where it became the primary wheat variety in the Central Plains. However, in the mid-1940s, it was replaced by modern, higher-yielding cultivars. Today, some Midwest farmers continue to produce Turkey Red wheat, and American bread bakers use it for its flavor and digestibility.

Ingredients You Need To Make White Bread

Milk and Water-You can use all milk if you want but I like to use a little hot water to help bring the milk up to the perfect temperature for activating the yeast more efficiently. This recipe also calls for powdered milk which makes a difference in the texture and flavor. Butter-I use real salted butter. No exceptions yield the same result.White Flour-the best type of flour to use for baking bread is Turkey Flour. I purchase mine from Lehi Roller Mills. Yeast-I use dry yeast. This stores well and works great in all kinds of breads and Belgian Waffles (recipe for this later!)

How Do You Shape A Loaf Of Bread?

Once your patience has been rewarded with beautifully risen dough, it’s time to transform it into a masterpiece! Gently deflate the dough by pressing out large air bubbles with your fingertips. On a lightly floured surface, knead the dough briefly to redistribute the air pockets and create a smooth surface. Now comes the shaping! Gently coax the dough into a rectangular shape. Fold one-third of the dough towards the center, then repeat with the opposite side, creating a business letter shape. Seal the seams by pinching the dough together. Using your palms, gently roll the dough back and forth, elongating it slightly. Tuck the ends underneath to create a taught surface. Place your seam-side down in a greased loaf pan, tucking the ends underneath for a neat finish. Congratulations! Your dough is now shaped and ready for its final rise before baking.

Let’s get started. Great bread starts with a great recipe!

Perfect Fluffy and Soft White Bread

Recipe by Shara GundersenCourse: UncategorizedDifficulty: Easy

Servings

servings

Prep Time

minutes

Cooking time

minutes

Calories

225

kcal

Total time

hours

The best white bread you have ever tasted.

Ingredients

220g whole milk, at room temperature
50g warm water
10g granulated sugar
7g (2 tsp) instant yeast
35g instant milk powder (I used full fat)
430g Bread flour
One large egg (50g not including the shell), at room temperature
2g (¾ tsp) kosher salt
60g unsalted butter, at room temperature, plus more for greasing the rising bowl

Directions

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook attachment, combine all the ingredients except for the 60g unsalted butter.
Mix the dough on medium speed for about 10 minutes. At first a shaggy dough will form, then the dough will start to smooth out and become elastic and will start to pull away from the sides of the bowl. I find that this usually takes me 8-10 minutes. If your dough is really really not coming together at this point, you can add flour a teaspoon at a time until the dough clears the sides of the bowl. The dough should pass the windowpane test at this stage – when you break a little off and stretch it between your fingers, it should stretch to allow light to show through without breaking.
Once the dough is developed, add the butter and mix for a further 5 minutes until incorporated. The dough should be smooth and elastic.
Transfer the dough to a clean work surface and flour very lightly if needed. Shape the dough into a tight ball using a bench scraper and then transfer to a lightly greased bowl. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and leave in a warm spot until risen and doubled in size, about 1 hour.
Divide dough into 2 equal parts. Shape the dough into a smooth elongated loaf shape and place in the pan seam side down. Place a kitchen towel over the loaves and let rise til double in size.
While shaped loaves are rising preheat the oven to 350°F and arrange the racks to the center of the oven.
When the loaves are risen, brush the surface of the dough with egg wash.
Bake the white bread loaves for 25 to 30 minutes, until deeply golden brown. If you want to check the internal temperature, a fully baked loaf should register at 190°f / 88°c when probed with a digital thermometer.
Remove the loaves from the oven and place on a cooling rack. Leave to cool in the pans for 10-15 minutes then turn out of the pans and transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Slice when cool. Store leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days. Best eaten fresh on the day it is made, however leftovers are amazing either slightly warmed up, or lightly toasted