This simple beginner recipe is a terrific introduction to bread baking. It makes two loaves, so you can serve one right away and freeze the other for later.
HANDS-ON TIME 15 minutes
TOTAL TIME 14¾ hours
MAKES 2 loaves, each 16 slices
INGREDIENTS
6 cups white bread flour (approx)
2 tsp salt
1 tsp quick-rising (instant) dry yeast
2½ cups lukewarm water
DIRECTIONS
In large bowl, whisk together 5 cups of the flour, salt and yeast. Stir in lukewarm water until well combined. Cover with plastic wrap; let rise in warm draft-free place until bubbly and doubled in bulk, about 12 hours. (Make-ahead: Let rise for up to 18 hours.)
Sprinkle work surface with ⅓ cup of the remaining flour. Scrape dough onto work surface; sprinkle ¼ cup of the remaining flour over top. Cover with tea towel; let stand for 15 minutes.
Using floured hands, gently flatten dough into ½-inch (1 cm) thick rectangle, sprinkling with up to ¼ cup of the remaining flour if dough is too sticky.
Cut in half crosswise. Roll each half into scant 8- x 4-inch (20 x 10 cm) cylinder; place, seam side down, in greased nonstick 8- x 4-inch (1.5 L) loaf pan. Cover loosely with lightly greased plastic wrap; let rise in warm draft-free place until almost doubled in bulk, about 1½ hours.
Bake in 425°F (220°C) oven for 10 minutes. Reduce heat to 375°F (190°C); bake until light golden and loaves sound hollow when tapped, about 30 minutes.
Transfer to racks; serve warm or let cool. (Make-ahead: Let cool completely. Slice loaves; wrap in plastic wrap and freeze in resealable freezer bag for up to 3 weeks.)
NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION, PER SLICE: about 93 cal, 4 g pro, 1 g total fat (trace sat. fat), 18 g carb, 1 g fibre, 0 mg chol, 144 mg sodium, 35 mg potassium. % RDI: 9% iron, 18% folate.
TIP FROM THE TEST KITCHEN
In the Test Kitchen, we slice our loaves before we freeze them for convenience—that way, we can pull just a few
slices out of the freezer without having to thaw the whole loaf, which can dry out if you do it repeatedly. To keep the
slices themselves from drying out, it’s important to let the whole loaf cool completely as directed before cutting into it.
