ISO Homemade White Bread for Sandwiches, no bread machine

[MommyMakes]

Is easy too much to hope for? for a first-timer? Plus, it can't be too crusty because the 3yo has to want to eat it. I would like to try to bake my own bread and if it really is cheaper then store bought I might cross over!

Katie

[Heather Sullivan]

If you don't want crusty, look for a bread that has milk, eggs, and/or butter in the dough itself. French baguettes are just made with water, flour and yeast and that's why they have a crisp crust.
I'd kind of suggest trying to do a "pullman" type loaf at home for sandwiches. Basically when you find a recipe you like and let it rise the first time and you shape it and put it in the buttered loaf pan, let it rise in the loaf pan that has a greased baking sheet placed on it with a weight like some cans. This should give it a dense bread for sandwich making.
And as far as the economics of bread.. you will definately be able to make a cheaper "fancy" bread at home like ciabatta or things like that cheaper at home than you can buy it in the stores and it will be better usually. For plain loaves of bread, unless you can buy the yeast very cheaply and can get good cheap flour that still *works* (very important since some cheaper flours won't have enough gluten to make the dough rise), storebought will probably be cheaper. BUT you will have fresh bread, you know what has gone in there and you have the lovely smell of baking bread and the satisfaction of making something lovely.
Give me a day, I have a recipe for pullman bread. I'll make sure it works and post it if it works out well.

[MommyMakes]

Thank you so much for your help Heather, you seem to know a lot about bread!

Katie

[Heather Sullivan]

Hiya, I made the pullman bread and put up the recipe I made up for it. It came out buttery and soft with only a slightly crisp crust. Tell me if it's too hard to make if you try it I thought my arm was going to fall off earlier beating it and pulling it with a wooden spoon but maybe I'm just weak.
You can still use the method I mention though for other soft breads. As long as it has some fat and/or milk in it, it should be soft in texture and in crust.

[MommyMakes]

What is the recipe called so I can look for it?

[Heather Sullivan]

Haven't properly posted it, it's just below this topic, or click this link
http://www.recipezaar.com/bb/viewtopic.zsp?t=116591
I was hoping for some bakers to see it and try it out to see if it works for them too.

[Donna M.]

Here are a couple of others that I have had good success with. Both are very easy and either one can be easily cut in half to make only one loaf, if you prefer.

White Batter Bread
Buttermilk & Honey Bread

In reading the numerous reviews on the White Batter Bread, you will notice that some cooks mentioned their bread was crumbly. I do not think that is a fault of the recipe, but rather the cook. I think that the dough was not mixed enough to properly develop the gluten, and that is what caused the crumbly texture.

[Gina*S]

MommyMakes,
Thank you so much for this question. The answers have been very informative!

[MommyMakes]

Gina*S wrote:
MommyMakes,
Thank you so much for this question. The answers have been very informative!

No kidding, I agree!

[WaterMelon]

this recipe makes the softest, most tender bread: Soft and Fluffy White Bread - also makes yummy dinner rolls, cinammon buns!

[Gina*S]

Watermelon,
I really want to make this bread, but I haven't come across potato flour. Any tips on where to find it?

[WaterMelon]

hi Gina! I found mine in a regular supermarket, but then I live in Singapore. I'm thinking an Oriental grocery store should have it. I hope you'll find it! Thanks for thinking of trying the recipe!

If you scroll down to the instructions part, you can sub potato flakes for the flour. (1/3 cup)

[Gina*S]

WaterMelon wrote:
If you scroll down to the instructions part, you can sub potato flakes for the flour. (1/3 cup)

OH!
I have some potato flakes from when my daughter lived here. Thanks so much! I'll be making this very soon.

[tasb]

I did some calculations before on my bread recipe and I came up with 55 cents a loaf (but I can't remember if it was for 2 loaves or 3 loaves, the bread was too big as 2 loaves so we bought the smaller size pans and made 3 instead).

It is time consumming at first but once you get one batch down you will really want to start doing more at one time. Right now I am up to 4 batches at a total of 12 loaves. We are a family of 4 bread eaters and go through almost a loaf a day.

I also use my electric hand mixer to mix in the flour until it becomes too stiff. Saves alot of arm muscle for kneading.