🍞 Sandwich bread

Ingredients

• 480 g all-purpose flour, or bread flour; spoon it into the cup and level it
• 7 g active dry yeast
• 9 g table salt
• 25 g granulated sugar
• 42 g butter, salted, softened
• 1 cup whole milk
• ⅓ cup water

Time

Hands-on time is when you’re busy; the rest is rising, simmering, chilling or cooling, when you can do something else.

How long it keeps

• Counter: wrapped, about 3 days (NDSU’s figure for bread and rolls). Cornell Extension advises against keeping bread in the refrigerator.
• Freezer: cool completely, wrap in plastic and then foil or a freezer bag, up to 3 months (University of Missouri). Slice first so you can take out what you need; a whole loaf thaws in its wrapping on the counter in about 3 hours (Cornell).

Nutrition

Steps

You’ll need: large bowl, loaf pan (9 × 5 or 8½ × 4½ inch), instant-read thermometer (helpful), cooling rack.

1. Warm the milk and water to about 110°F: warm on your wrist, not hot. Stir in the sugar and yeast and let it stand 5 to 10 minutes, until foamy.
2. Add the butter, salt and about two-thirds of the flour and stir until smooth. Work in the rest of the flour a little at a time until the dough pulls away from the bowl.
3. Knead on a lightly floured counter 8 to 10 minutes (5 to 6 in a stand mixer with a dough hook), until smooth and springy. If it sticks, add flour a spoonful at a time; a slightly tacky dough makes a softer loaf.
4. Put the dough in a greased bowl, cover, and let it rise in a warm spot until doubled, 1 to 1½ hours.
5. Grease the pan. Press the dough into a rectangle as wide as the pan is long, roll it up tightly from the short side, pinch the seam, and set it seam side down in the pan.
6. Cover and let it rise until the top crowns about 1 inch over the rim of the pan, 45 to 60 minutes. Heat the oven to 350°F for the last 20 minutes.
7. Bake 35 to 40 minutes for a 9 × 5 pan (30 to 35 for 8½ × 4½), until deep golden and the center reads about 190°F. If the top browns fast, lay foil over it after 20 minutes.
8. Turn the loaf out onto a rack and cool at least 1 hour before slicing; it is still setting inside.
9. No loaf pan? Shape the dough into a 10-inch oval on a greased or parchment-lined baking sheet, let it rise 45 minutes, and bake 30 to 35 minutes.