This is a staple of mine. A trusty recipe, I've been able to make this bread by substituting the bread flour with all purpose, the honey for sugar, and the butter for oil; all with great results. This loaf is great for sandwiches, french toast, grilled cheese, stuffing, and most importantly for taking pictures of to post on social media.
INGREDIENTS
4 cups (20 ounces) bread flour
2 1/4 teaspoons instant or rapid-rise yeast
2 teaspoons salt
1 cup (8 ounces) whole milk, room temperature (or can substitute 1/4 cup of powdered milk plus 1 cup of water for the whole milk)
⅓ cup (10⅔ ounces) water, room temperature, plus extra for misting
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted, plus 1 tablespoon for the crust
3 tablespoons honey
OVEN INSTRUCTIONS
Whisk flour, yeast, and salt together in bowl of stand mixer. Whisk milk, room-temperature water, melted butter, and honey in 4-cup liquid measuring cup until honey is dissolved.
Fit mixer with dough hook. Slowly add milk mixture to flour mixture on low speed until cohesive dough starts to form and no dry flour remains, about 2 minutes, scraping down bowl as needed. Increase speed to medium-low and knead until dough is smooth and elastic and clears sides of bowl, about 8 minutes.
Transfer dough to lightly floured counter and knead to form smooth, round ball, about 30 seconds. Place dough seam side down in lightly greased large bowl, cover tightly with plastic wrap, and let rise until doubled in size, 1½ to 2 hours.
Grease 8½ by 4½-inch loaf pan. Press down on dough to deflate. Turn out dough onto lightly floured counter (side of dough that was against bowl should now be facing up). Press and stretch dough into 8 by 6-inch rectangle, with long side parallel to counter edge.
Roll dough away from you into firm cylinder, keeping roll taut by tucking it under itself as you go. Pinch seam closed and place loaf seam side down in prepared pan, pressing dough gently into corners.
Cover loosely with greased plastic and let rise until loaf reaches 1 inch above lip of pan and dough springs back minimally when poked gently with your knuckle, 1 to 1½ hours.
Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and heat oven to 350 degrees. Mist loaf with water and bake until loaf is deep golden brown and registers 205 to 210 degrees, 35 to 40 minutes, rotating pan halfway through baking.
Let loaf cool in pan for 15 minutes. Remove loaf from pan. Brush crust with remaining tablespoon of melted butter and let cool completely on wire rack, about 3 hours, before slicing and serving.
BREAD MACHINE INSTRUCTIONS
For us with bread making robot slaves...
In the pan of your bread machine put in butter and honey, add hot tap water and salt. Top with flour, milk powder, and yeast. Punch your bread making robot's buttons to put on the regular cycle.
Wander off, weed your garden, make friends with stray cats, write the great american novel.
Come back when your home smells wonderfully of freshly baked bread and your bread making robot starts screaming at you that your bread is done baking. Reward your robot by taking away its' bread.
Let bread cool in pan for 5 minutes. Remove loaf, and place on wire cooling rack. Take a stick of butter and rub it all over the crust until it's glistening like old people on a Florida beach.
Leave on wire rack and take pictures of your bread until completely cool before slicing. Enjoy!
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