This recipe provides detailed instructions for making homemade sandwich bread. It emphasizes enjoying a warm slice with butter straight from the oven and offers tips for storage.
First, grab a large mixing bowl and add 3/4 cup of warm water, 1/2 cup of warm milk, 2 tbsp of granulated sugar or honey, and 2 tsp of instant yeast. Whisk together and let it sit for 5 minutes. Then, whisk in 3 tbsp of melted butter and 2 tsp of salt. Then, mix in 3 & 1/4 cups of all purpose flour using a spatula or large wood spoon, until you have a shaggy dough. Transfer to a clean surface and knead for about 3 minutes or until you have a nice smooth dough. Transfer back to the bowl and cover with a kitchen towel. Heat your oven to 350°F and place the bowl on top of the oven where it’s nice and warm to rise. It should take about 1.5 hours to rise, but if it hasn’t doubled in size, wait for up to another 30 minutes. You can turn the oven off after about 30 minutes, it should stay warm for a while after that. After the dough has risen, punch down the dough and transfer again to a clean surface. Shape the dough into a rectangle using a rolling pin. Then, grab a greased 9x5 loaf pan. Roll the shaped dough into a log and place into the loaf pan. Let this rise again somewhere warm, for about 45 minutes, or until the dough has risen slightly over the loaf pan. Then, pop this in the oven and bake on 350°F for 30 minutes, or until the top is all golden brown and beautiful (tip: place the loaf on the middle or bottom rack, you don’t want the top to burn). Allow it to cool for 10 minutes, slice and enjoy! (Since there’s no preservatives, store in the fridge for up to a week, or freeze it).
