Everyday Bread Recipe

Despite the name, this bread is anything but ordinary. Soft, delicious, and perfect to make into a loaf, rolls, or buns, its versatile and totally worth it!

Now, I will be the first to admit that I cheat. Sort of. I have a bread machine with a dough function. So I put all my ingredients in, hit a button, and leave until it beeps. Then I come back, shape it, let it rise another 20 ish minutes, and bake it off. Whether you have such a luxury or not, a stand mixer, or even your bare hands will make a tasty dough that’s worth all the elbow grease.

The recipe is pretty simple. If you’re using a machine like me, load the ingredients in according to the machine directions. (Mine wants all liquids in first).

If you are making it in a mixer (which I do recommend, just cause its easier) You’ll want to make a few adjustments.

First, you want to put your yeast in a bowl with the warm water and let it sit and “bloom” for about 15 minutes. As anyone who has ever watched Alton Brown and Good Eats will tell you, you’re waiting for the yeast to wake up and get rude. (Just go google Good Eats yeast. I’ll wait.) I usually do this first and then gather the rest of my ingredients.

You’ll want to then add your sugar into the mixing bowl, add in your yeast and stir it around a little. Add in the softened butter. You can melt it too, but if you do, make sure you let it cool to room temp before adding it. Then add the rest of your ingredients and start mixing. My recipe uses evaporated milk because I think it makes a better loaf, but you can use regular milk as well.

If you’re using a stand mixer, start with a paddle attachment, and when it starts to get hard to stir, switch to the dough hook. If you are doing it by hand, use a wooden spoon, and then usually I switch to my hands. It’s just easier.

Once it starts to pull away from the sides of the bowl and gets less shaggy, you want to knead it for 8-10 minutes. If you’re doing it by hand, turn it out onto a floured board, and use more flour as necessary.

Once you’ve done this, let it sit in a bowl sprayed with cooking spray, turning the dough so it is coated in a little of the oil. Then cover with plastic wrap and leave for around an hour and a half, or until doubled in size.

Come back, punch it down, and then take your dough back out on a lightly floured board. This recipe actually makes two loaves. At this point, you can shape the loaves and put them in greased tins, make one part of the dough into any size roll you like by making them into little balls and placing on a greased cookie sheet, or even just shaping the loaf and putting in a freezer bag to be frozen for a later date. If you are doing anything except freezing, you can just cover with a kitchen towel at this point and let it rise again.

Let it rise again for 30-45 minutes. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. You’ll bake rolls for 10-20 minutes (depending on size), and a loaf for 35-40. When it is golden brown and sounds hollow when you tap on the top, its finished.

Everyday Sandwich Bread

1/4 cup warm water
1 1/2 tbsp yeast
1/4 cup sugar
4 tbsp butter
6 1/2 – 7 cup flour
2 tsp salt
2 1/2 cups evaporated milk

Directions:
1. Dissolve yeast into warm water in a small bowl.
2. Measure ingredients into the bowl of a stand mixer with paddle attachment.
3. Add yeast mixture and mix until combined. Remove paddle attachment and use dough hook to knead dough for 8-10 minutes.
4. Oil a bowl lightly and place dough inside, turning to coat. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm location for 1 1/2 hours or until doubled in size.
5. Punch down dough and divide dough into two equal parts. Shape into loaves, rolls, or freeze. Loaves need to be placed into a greased loaf tin, rolls onto a greased cookie sheet, and any loaves to be frozen into a freezer bag. Frozen dough can be thawed in a pan and baked off at a later date.
6. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Bake loaves for 30-40 minutes, 10-20 for rolls, depending on size.