White Bread

There is nothing quite like the smell and taste of home-baked bread, eaten while still warm.

White Bread
(Adapted from180 Every Day Cakes and Bakes)

Makes two 23x13 cm /9x5 in loaves

Ingredients:
50 ml/2 fl oz/ ¼ cup lukewarm water
15 ml/1 tbsp active dry yeast
30ml/ 2 tbsp caster (superfine) sugar
475ml/16 fl oz/ 2 cups lukewarm milk
2.5g/ 1 oz/ 2 tbsp butter or margarine, at room temperature
10ml/ 2 tsp salt
About 900g/2 lb/8 cups strong white flour

Method:

• Combine the water, yeast, and 15ml/ 1tbsp of the sugar in a measuring cup and leave for 15 minutes or until frothy.
• Pour the milk into a large bowl. Add the remaining sugar, the butter or margarine, and salt.
• Stir in the yeast mixture, then stir in the flour, 150g/5 oz/ 1 ¼ cups at a time, until a stiff dough is obtained.
• Transfer the dough to a floured surface. Knead the dough until it is smooth and elastic, then place it in a large greased bowl, cover with a clear film (plastic Wrap), and leave to rise in a warm place until doubled in volume, about 2-3 hours.
• Grease two 23x13 cm /9x5 in loaf pans. Knock back the dough and divide in half.
• Form into loaf shapes and place in the tins, seam down. Cover and leave to rise again until almost doubled in volume, about 45 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 190C/375C.
• Bake the loaves until firm and brown, about 45-50 minutes. Turn out and tap the base of a loaf; if it sounds hollow the loaf is done. If necessary return to the oven and bake for a few minutes longer. (Turn the loaf upside down in the tin if the top is done but the base is not.) Turn out and cool on a wire rack.

I made some of these different flavoured heart shaped cuties too :)...... took a small amount of dough and pressed these into my heart shaped pan and sprinkled little bit of different dry hearbs (like Rosemary, Thyme, Oregano, Basil ) and some dry red chilly flakes and chopped garlic on top of each...they were delicious....

Notes:

1. I halved the recipe and made only one loaf. That was more than enough for 3 of us to survive 2 meals :)
2. I used half of All purpose flour and half od wheat flour instead of Strong white bread flour.
3. I served the bread along with Finnish Pie and Spicy Orange Chicken Salad...It goes very well with Fish pie, Meat loaf, Fish Molee etc
4. Toast these bread slices slightly and serve warm with butter and Jam...
5. I am sending this recipe for the 5th World Bread Day, hosted by Zorra.
6. And this bread is YeastSpotted!