White Bread Loaf

ബ്രെഡ്‌ ലോഫ്
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White Bread Loaf
(Recipe adopted form King Arthurs and Modified…)
Makes one large 9” X 5” loaf or two small loaves

Once you learn to make your own basic bread loaves at home, you will never turn back to the bakery ones. It tastes awesome, and you can make it with healthier ingredients, and shape it as you desire.

Ingredients:
Water or Milk – 303g to 340g lukewarm (1 1/3 to 1 ½ cups)
(I used 50:50 water and milk)
Honey or Sugar – 32g (2 tbs)
Instant yeast – 2 1/4 teaspoons
Salt – 1 3/4 teaspoons
Butter or Olive Oil – 28g soft (2 tbs)
Bread flour or All-purpose Flour or Maida – 482g (4 cups)
Milk Powder – 35g (1/3 cup)

Method:
Take ¼ cup lukewarm water, add 1 tsp sugar and the instant yeast, mix well and set aside to rise.

Mix the flour, milk powder and salt in a bowl.
In another large bowl mix all the wet ingredients, (except butter).

Add the risen yeast mix to this. Start adding the flour mix, a cup at a time, mixing well with a silicon or plastic scraper (if you do not have a scraper, mix with hand), till you get very wet dough, which starts pulling off from the side of the bowl.

Add butter little at a time to the mix and keep kneading.
Transfer this to a lightly floured work table, knead gently for 10 minutes (lift, spread and throw or stretch and pull), adding little flour at a time (if required only), till you get a very loose, but not sticky dough. (The dough may seem very sticky, but after the above kneading, it will automatically form smooth dough, do not add excess flour, and do not knead hard)

Place the dough in a lightly greased bowl. Grease the dough also.

Cover it, with a wet cloth and let it rise at room temperature (preferably warm place) until it’s doubled in size, 1 to 2 hours.

Gently deflate the dough, to shape the bread loaf, take the dough and just spread into a rectangular shape with a rolling pin. Roll up tightly into a log. Place the bread dough in lightly greased loaf pan with the seam area at bottom.

Cover with a wet cloth, and let the dough rise for 45 to 60 minutes (preferably warm place), till it has doubled.
15 Minutes before the bake, pre heat the oven at 200 C.
Just before baking, brush the loaf with little milk or melted butter or egg wash.

Bake in a preheated oven at 200 C, for 40 to 45 minutes for the bread loaf. Remove the bread from the oven, and turn it out onto a rack to cool.

When completely cooled, wrap in plastic, and store at room temperature. Slice the loaf only after cooling.

I bet these tastes much better than the store bought ones, the aroma that fills the house when you bake these, will make you bake it again and again, in fact no more bakery breads.
Happy bread making…..

Note 1: Water required may vary, Use the lesser amount in summer or humid climates; the greater amount in winter or drier climates.
Note 2: Baking time could vary from different ovens.
Note 3: The dough may seem very sticky, but after kneading, it will automatically form smooth dough, do not add excess flour, and do not knead hard)
Note 4: You can brush with egg wash for getting a golden colour for the crown.
Note 5: If the crown of the loaf is getting too much browned, cover with a baking sheet after 25 to 30 minutes.
By : Sumod Tom