Directions
- 1Add 2 cups of warm water (about 110 to 120°F) to the bowl of your stand mixer.
- 2Add 2 tablespoons of sugar to the water.
- 3Add two packets of active dry yeast to the mixture.
- 4Stir the yeast mixture and set it aside for about 5 minutes until it's foamy.
- 5While the yeast foams, measure out 6 cups (or 720g) of flour.
- 6Add 2 teaspoons of salt to the flour and mix it.
- 7Once the yeast is foamy, add the flour and salt mixture to the bowl.
- 8Add four tablespoons of melted butter, ensuring it's not screaming hot.
- 9Attach the dough hook to the stand mixer and mix on low for a minute until a shaggy mixture forms.
- 10Scrape down the sides of the bowl to ensure all ingredients are incorporated.
- 11Increase the speed to medium-low and mix for 5 to 7 minutes until the dough is smooth and springs back when pressed, and doesn't stick to your fingers.
- 12Lightly grease a large bowl with some oil.
- 13Transfer the dough into the greased bowl and flip it once to coat it with oil.
- 14Cover the bowl and place it in a cozy place for 40 to 50 minutes, or until the dough has nearly doubled in size.
- 15Lightly flour your countertop.
- 16Punch down the risen dough.
- 17Plop the dough onto the lightly floured countertop and divide it into two equal pieces.
- 18Take one piece of dough and finesse it into an 8x12 inch rectangle.
- 19Starting with the short end, roll the dough up into a tight log.
- 20Pinch the seams tightly on the side and tuck them under the loaf.
- 21Spray the inside of a loaf pan (or butter it).
- 22Use a bench scraper to pick up the loaf and place it into the loaf pan, with the pretty side down.
- 23Repeat the shaping steps for the second piece of dough.
- 24Cover both loaf pans loosely and place them in a cozy place to rise again for 25 to 30 minutes, or until they're just poking up over the top.
- 25While the loaves are on their second rise, preheat your oven to 350°F.
- 26(Optional) Brush the tops of the risen loaves with melted butter for extra richness and a golden, shiny crust.
- 27Bake the bread in the preheated oven for 30 to 35 minutes, or until the tops are golden brown.
- 28Allow your bread to cool completely before slicing and enjoying.
Ingredients
- 2 cups warm water
- 2 tbsp sugar
- 2 packets active dry yeast
- 6 cups flour
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 4 tablespoons melted butter
Equipment
stand mixerdough hookscalelarge spatulawooden spoonlarge bowlbrushbench scraperloaf panoven
Tips
- To soften dough, replace half of the water with milk and warm it up at the beginning of the recipe.
- To test if yeast is active, let it foam for 5 minutes; if it doesn't foam, it's expired.
- To ensure correct flour amount, fluff flour in the canister, sprinkle into measuring cup, and level it off, or use a scale.
- When kneading by hand, stretch out dough with the palm of your hand, fold it back, and repeat, rotating the dough as you go along.
- To prevent dough from drying out during the rise, coat it nicely with oil.
- To create a cozy place for dough to rise, use a warming drawer, an oven with the light on, or preheat oven to 100° and turn it off.
- To know if bread is overproofed, lightly oil your fingertip, gently press down, and it should slowly spring back. If it collapses, it's overproofed and will be denser.
- For a better result when placing dough in loaf pan, take the top pretty end of your dough and place it face down, with the ugly side with wrinkles face up.
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