Great Everyday Bread

A great loaf that is easy to make in your stand mixer or even by hand. This everyday bread checks all the boxes and will become your daily bread.

I love a good bread. Well, this is a great bread. I have been looking for an “everyday” bread recipe for several years. Yes, I said years. I have tried many, I have even taken pictures for a post several times. I just couldn’t do it until now.

So what was I looking for?

1. Easy and great taste are a given.
2. Stand mixer option. I don’t want to do hand kneading, mostly because I make a mess. It is a little work but more the mess. But flexible enough for hand kneading also.
3. I like the texture milk adds to bread. I don’t like to “scald” milk. I don’t even like to heat milk to a given temperature. It is just picky.  So powdered milk is a plus.
4. I want to make a large enough loaf to use. Many recipes make short loaves that don’t do it for me for toast or a sandwich. I want a loaf I can use “every day.”
5. A one loaf recipe. This is cooking for two after all.

So after a number of trials and reading many recipes, I have a winner. From King Authur Flour, we have an adaptation of their Classic White Sandwich Bread. It just has it all. I adjusted the salt a little and fleshed out the instructions a bit.

MyRating

Not a fancy loaf. Just an excellent loaf.

Notes on My Everyday Bread

Most people think baking bread is “hard” but not really. Yes, there are lots of variables. How you measure your flour. Do you weight it? Fluff and measure? Or just dip into the flour. (I’m a dipper.) The temperature of the water, the room temperature, the age of the yeast and when the salt is added. Even the season of the year can affect the flour.

So what to do with all that? It is like fussy math. It will be OK, really. At it’s heart, bread is flour, salt, yeast, and water. If the yeast is good, it almost always turns out good.

So jump in and give it a try today. All you have to loose is a little yeast and flour.

To a stand mixer, add 4 cups flour, 1 package quick or instant yeast, 2 teaspoon salt and 1/2 cup dried milk. Add 1 tablespoon honey and 2 tablespoons soft butter. Mix well in the bowl.

Start mix on a speed of two with the dough hook. Measure 1 1/2 cup of water at a temperature of 105-110. Add 1 cup and allow it mix. Slowly add a tablespoon of water at a time. If the dough is “shaggy” you need more water. Once it smooths you are about right. It needs to stick some to the bottom of the bowl. Allow to knead 6-7 more minutes. You can also just mix well in a bowl and hand knead for 8-10 minutes. You’re looking for smooth, bouncy and elastic.

Roll into a lightly oiled bowl and form into a ball. Cover and place in warm place. Allow to rise until puffy and almost doubled. About 60-90 minutes. Please note the variation in rising time is based mostly on temperature.

Prep a 9 by 5 loaf pan with a light coat of oil. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Deflate the raised dough.

Form into the pan. Cover and allow to rise until about 1 inch above the top of the pan. About 1 to 1 1/2 hours.

Bake for 20 minutes then tent lightly with foil. Remove foil and continue to bake for 15-20 minutes more until golden brown and an internal temperature of 195 to 200.

Cool on a rack.

Great Everyday Bread

Votes: 4 Rating: 5 You: Rate this recipe!

Print Recipe

A great loaf that is easy to make in your stand mixer or even by hand. This everyday bread checks all the boxes and will become your daily bread.

• CourseBread
• CuisineAmerican

Servings	Prep Time
18 slices	15 minutes

Cook Time	Passive Time
40 minutes	2 hours

Servings Prep Time 18 slices 15 minutes

Cook Time Passive Time 40 minutes 2 hours

Great Everyday Bread Votes: 4 Rating: 5 You: Rate this recipe! Print Recipe A great loaf that is easy to make in your stand mixer or even by hand. This everyday bread checks all the boxes and will become your daily bread. CourseBread CuisineAmerican Servings Prep Time 18 slices 15 minutes Cook Time Passive Time 40 minutes 2 hours Servings Prep Time 18 slices 15 minutes Cook Time Passive Time 40 minutes 2 hours

Ingredients

• 4 cups flour
• 1/2 cups dry powdered milk
• 1 package yeast instant or rapid
• 1 tablespoon honey sugar would be fine
• 2 tablespoons butter softened
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1-1 1/2 cup water 105 to 110 degrees, I needed right at 1 1/4 cup

Servings: slices

Units:MetricUS Imperial

Instructions

1. To a stand mixer, add 4 cups flour, 1 package quick or instant yeast, 2 teaspoon salt and 1/2 cup dried milk. Add 1 tablespoon honey and 2 tablespoons soft butter. Mix well in the bowl.
2. Start mix on a speed of two with the dough hook. Measure 1 1/2 cup of water at a temperature of 105-110. Add 1 cup and allow it mix. Slowly add a tablespoon of water at a time. If the dough is "shaggy" you need more water. Once it smooths you are about right. It needs to stick some to the bottom of the bowl. Allow to knead 6-7 more minutes. You can also just mix well in a bowl and hand knead for 8-10 minutes. You're looking for smooth, bouncy and elastic.
3. Roll into a lightly oiled bowl and form into a ball. Cover and place in warm place. Allow to rise until puffy and almost doubled. About 60-90 minutes. Please note the variation in rising time is based mostly on temperature.
4. Prep a 9 by 5 loaf pan with a light coat of oil. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Deflate the raised dough and form into the pan. Cover and allow to rise until about 1 inch above the top of the pan. About 1 to 1 1/2 hours.
5. Bake for 20 minutes then tent lightly with foil and continue to bake for 15-20 minutes more until golden brown and an internal temperature of 195 to 200.
6. Cool on a rack.

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All nutritional information are estimates and may vary from your actual results. This is home cooking, and there are many variables. To taste ingredients such as salt will be my estimate of the average used.

If you like this recipe or find it useful, the pleasure of a nice 4 or 5 rating would be greatly appreciated. Rating is done by clicking on the stars above.

Last Updated

November 14, 2016