Brenda's Best White Bread

Brenda.'s Note:

This recipe is a combination of several I've tried. It's our family's favorite white bread. I use my stand mixer to make this near effortless. I hope you will enjoy it as well :)

• Total Time: 2 hrs 10 mins
• Prep Time: 1 hrs 45 mins
• Cook Time: 25 mins

Ingredients:

Serves: 6-8

Yield: 1.0 loaf

• 1 1⁄3; cups warm water (90-100 degrees)
• 2 ½ teaspoons active dry yeast (1/4 ounce packet)
• 4 teaspoons sugar (1 tbsp plus 1 tsp)
• ¼ cup oil (I use canola)
• 4 ¼ cups bread flour (Divided)
• 1 teaspoon wheat malt (Diastatic Malt Powder)
• ¼ cup powdered milk
• 2 ¼ teaspoons salt
• ½ tablespoon butter , chilled

Directions:

1. Fit stand mixer with dough hook.
2. Pour warm water into the bowl of your stand mixer.
3. Sprinkle yeast and sugar over warm water.
4. Let sit 5-10 until mixture foams.
5. Add canola oil, 4 cups of flour (reserve 1/4 cup of flour to use if needed), diastatic malt powder, powdered milk, and salt.
6. Mix on low to thoroughly blend all ingredients. After flour is mostly incorporated, bring speed up to a low-med (2 on a KA P600, or 4 on a KA Artisan).
7. I like a little stickier dough, so often the 4 cups of bread flour is enough for me. If you need to add more flour, add the remaining 1/4 cup a tbsp at a time.
8. Knead with the dough hook on low-med (2 on a KA P600, or 4 on a KA Artisan) for 8 minutes.
9. Remove dough to a large bowl that has been oiled to prevent sticking. Flip over to oil other side as well.
10. Cover with plastic wrap and set in your oven with only the pilot light or oven light bulb on for a draft free rising with a little warmth.
11. Let rise for 1-1 1/2 hours. Dough should double or a little more.
12. I also place my empty bread pan in the oven during rising to warm a bit.
13. Remove dough from the bowl and pat gently into a narrow rectangle on a clean countertop. You want the width to be about the same as the length of your bread pan.
14. Starting at one of the short ends, roll the dough into a log. Tuck under the ends, and place into a lightly greased bread pan (I use a spritz of cooking spray).
15. Spray or lightly oil a piece of plastic wrap and drape loosely over loaf.
16. Place back in oven to rise another 20-30 minutes.
17. Remove pan from oven and set aside in a draft free place while you preheat your oven to 375 degrees.
18. Carefully remove plastic wrap and bake loaf for 25-30 minutes until a light golden brown.
19. Set pan on a cooling rack for about 2 minutes and then take the chilled butter and gently glide it all over the top of the loaf. You may not use the whole chip of butter. Just use enough to lightly coat the top and sides that rose above the pan.
20. Let cool in pan about another 3-5 minutes and then gently tip the loaf out onto the cooling rack to finish cooling. Cool at least 45 minutes before cutting for best results.