Chef John's White Bread recipe

All Recipes Bread Yeast Bread Recipes White Bread Recipes

Ingredients

1 ¼ cups whole milk, warmed
1 (.25 ounce) package active dry yeast
1 large egg, beaten
1 tablespoon white sugar
1 tablespoon white vinegar
¼ teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon fine salt
1 pinch cayenne pepper
2 ¾ cups all-purpose flour, or more as needed
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, very soft
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour, or as needed
2 tablespoons melted butter, divided

Nutrition Info

211.3 calories
carbohydrate: 29.8 g
cholesterol: 36.9 mg
fat: 7.6 g
fiber: 1.1 g
protein: 5.6 g
saturatedFat: 4.4 g
servingSize: -
sodium: 301.1 mg
sugar: 2.8 g
transFat: : -
unsaturatedFat: : -

Directions

  1. Pour warm milk into a bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook. Sprinkle yeast on top and let dissolve until a few small bubbles begin to a form, 10 to 15 minutes. Add beaten egg, sugar, vinegar, baking soda, salt, cayenne, flour, and butter.

  2. Knead on low speed until dough begins to come together. Increase speed slightly and knead about 3 minutes more. Use a spatula to scrape the sides clean and gather the dough into the center. Cover and let rise until doubled in volume, 1 1/2 to 2 hours.

  3. Butter a spatula and a loaf pan. Scrape the dough into the pan using the spatula. Smooth out the top to distribute dough evenly. Dust the top with flour and press gently to even out the dough. Let rise in pan for 30 minutes.

  4. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).

  5. Use a sharp knife or razor to cut a deep slash lengthwise through the center of the loaf. You may need to go over it several times. Brush the top with most of the melted butter.

  6. Bake in the preheated oven until golden brown, about 30 minutes.

  7. Brush hot loaf with remaining butter. Let cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then turn it out onto a wire rack to cool for at least 1 hour before slicing.

Recipe Yield

1 9x5-inch loaf

Recipe Note

I mostly eat whole grain breads but occasionally will indulge in some white, which if we're being honest, really is a more special bread-eating experience, especially for sandwiches. The buttery, slightly sweet, but mostly neutral flavor of white bread really lets the main ingredients shine. So, whether you're a nostalgic baby boomer like me, or just a curious millennial 'wondering' what a classic white bread tastes like, I really do hope you give this a try soon.

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