New, simpler bread recipe.
This recipe for standard bread is the easiest and simplest ever. If you have a food processor it’s doubly easy. If not just use your hands and a large bowl. You can also use a Kitchen Aid stand mixer but its faster in the Food Processor. Note: the biggest mistake bread makers make is not letting the dough rise long enough. Give it a couple of hours if need be for the dough to double in size.
4 cups all purpose flour
1 pkg. Rapid Rise yeast
1 TBS salt
1 TBS sugar
8 to 10 oz. warm water (more or less)
1. Place all dry ingredients into the Food Processor bowl – pulse once to mix the dry ingredients
2. Turn the Food Processor on and gradually pour the warm water into the feed tube. If you don’t have a food processor simply use your hands and knead until the dough is elastic.
3. When the dough takes on a dough-like texture, slightly sticky, process for 20 seconds more.
4. If it’s too sticky add a little more flour. If it’s too dry add a little more warm water.
5. Place the dough into a large bowl to rise. Allow to rise in a warm place. I usually turn the oven on for one minute and then turn it off. The temp gets to about 90 degrees. Do not let the internal oven temp go above 90 degrees. You don’t want to cook the bread.
6. Tightly cover the bowl with plastic wrap and place it in the slightly warm oven
7. Allow to rise for 1.5 hours or until the dough has doubled in size
8. Place the dough on a floured bread board and divide in half
9. Kneed each dough piece for about 1 minute and form into a loaf
10. Place each loaf into a PAM sprayed glass bread dough pan. You can use metal pans but they will impart a slight metallic taste.
11. Allow to rise in the pans for at least one hour
12. Use a razor or sharp knife to make a lengthwise slit down the loaf
13. Place the dough into a 400 degree F oven and bake for 25 minutes.
14. When you take the bread out of the oven remove from the bread pans onto a cooling rack.
15. Be patient, if you try to cut it right away the texture won’t be right. Give the bread at least 15 minutes to cool
Enjoy..
