Published: by Absolutely Recipes, in the recipes category.

Basic White Bread Recipe.

Ingredients:

4 cups all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons sugar
2 teaspoons salt
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
2 ¼ teaspoons active dry yeast
1 ½ cups warm water (around 110°F/43°C)

Recipe Instructions:

Activate the yeast:

In a small bowl, combine warm water and sugar. Stir until the sugar is dissolved.
Sprinkle the yeast over the water-sugar mixture and gently stir. Let it sit for about 5-10 minutes until the mixture becomes foamy. This indicates that the yeast is activated.

Prepare the dough:

In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour and salt.
Add the softened butter to the flour mixture and mix it in using your hands or a wooden spoon until it resembles coarse crumbs.
Make a well in the center of the flour mixture and pour in the activated yeast mixture.
Stir the ingredients together until they form a shaggy dough.

Knead the dough:

Flour a clean work surface and transfer the dough onto it.
Begin kneading the dough by pushing it away from you with the heel of your hand and then folding it back over itself.
Continue kneading for about 8-10 minutes until the dough becomes smooth and elastic.

First rise:

Lightly oil a large bowl and place the kneaded dough into it, turning it around to coat it with oil.
Cover the bowl with a clean kitchen towel or plastic wrap and let it rise in a warm, draft-free place for about 1-2 hours until it doubles in size.

Shape the dough:

Once the dough has risen, gently punch it down to release any air bubbles.
Transfer the dough to a floured surface and divide it into two equal portions.
Shape each portion into a loaf by flattening the dough into a rectangle and then rolling it up tightly, starting from one end.
Pinch the ends and seams to seal the loaf.

Second rise:

Grease two 9x5-inch loaf pans and place each shaped loaf into a pan.
Cover the pans with a kitchen towel and let the dough rise for another 30-60 minutes until it reaches the top of the pans.

Preheat and bake:

Preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C) during the last 10 minutes of the second rise.
Once the dough has risen, bake the loaves in the preheated oven for 25-30 minutes or until they turn golden brown.
To check if the bread is done, tap the bottom of the loaf — it should sound hollow.
Remove the bread from the pans and let them cool on a wire rack before slicing.

Enjoy:

Once the bread has completely cooled, slice it, and enjoy it fresh.
Store any remaining bread in an airtight container or resealable bag to maintain freshness.

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