CLASSIC WHITE BREAD RECIPE

Recipe from Martha Stewart Living February 2010 issue.

Makes two loaves

Ingredients

• 1 tbsp plus 1+1/2 tsp active dry yeast
• 2+1/4 cups warm water
• 3 tbsp+ 2 tsp honey
• 4 tbsp unsalted butter, melted, plus more for pans
• 7 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
• 2 tbsp coarse salt

Method

1. Sprinkle yeast over half a cup of warm water, add 2 tsp of honey and whisk to dissolve the yeast. Let stand until foamy, about 5 minutes, then transfer to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook attachment. Add butter, remaining water and honey.
2. In a separate bowl, whisk flour with salt.
3. Add 3 cups of the flour mixture to yeast and mix on low speed until smooth.
4. Add remaining flour, one cup at a time, mixing until dough comes away from sides of bowl and forms a slightly sticky ball.
5. Butter a large mixing bowl and set aside.
6. Knead the dough on a floured surface until smooth and elastic, shape into a bowl and transfer to the buttered bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and let stand in a warm place until it doubles in volume, about an hour. (You may freeze half of the dough at this point to bake later.)
7. Butter two 4.5*8.5 inch loaf pans. Punch dough down, divide in half, shape into an 8.5 inch rectangle, fold long sides in to the middle, overlapping slightly. Press seam to seal and transfer dough, seam side down, to the loaf pan.
8. Dust each loaf with flour, cover loosely with plastic and let stand until dough rises about an inch above tops of pans, about 45 minutes.
9. In the meantime, preheat your oven to 450F.
10. Reduce oven temperature to 400F and bake, rotating pans after 20 minutes, until tops are golden brown, for a total of 45 minutes.
11. Let cool completely before slicing.
12. Loaves can be stored at room temperature for three days or frozen for up to three months.