What’s Cooking Wednesday: Best Bread Recipe

I am an avid baker of primarily desserts. I’ve always avoided anything to do with dough because it just takes too long. The kneading and waiting for the mixture to rise quite honestly is irritating to me, so I have never took it upon myself to bake bread. I am a committed Trader Joe’s shopper for over ten years so I have always been satisfied with their selection of bread, but recently, I found myself wanting to bake bread. The ingredients are simple, so I figured I would give it a go.

I ended up on Lil Luna’s website where they claim to have the best bread recipe. I figured why not. They did not lie. This is the absolute best plain loaf of bread recipe, because it delivers. This recipe is fool proof and delicious. It refrigerates, freezes and reheats well. So as the season of warm comfort foods approach, try this recipe.

Ingredients

2¼ teaspoons active dry yeast (1 packet)

2¼ cups warm water

¼ cup sugar plus 1 pinch

1 tablespoon salt

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

5½ – 6½ cups bread flour

butter for topping (optional)

Directions

1. In a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer, dissolve the yeast in warm water with a pinch of sugar. When the yeast is bubbly and foamy, add the sugar, salt, oil, and 4 cups flour, and mix until smooth.

2. Add remaining flour, ½ cup at a time, to form a soft, smooth dough. The dough should stick just slightly to your finger when touched, but not be overly sticky. Knead for 5-7 minutes, until smooth, then roll into a ball.

3. Place the dough in an oiled bowl, turn over once to coat the top with oil, and cover with plastic wrap. Let rise for one hour, or until doubled.

4. When the dough has risen, punch it down gently and divide it in half. Roll each half of the dough into a long rectangle about 8 inches wide. Roll the dough up, starting at the short edge, to form a cylinder that is approximately 8 inches wide. Repeat with the remaining dough.

5. Place the dough, seam side down, into lightly greased bread pans, and cover with plastic wrap. Let rise for one hour, or until the dough is ½ – 1 inch higher than the top of the pan.

6. Preheat the oven to 375°F. Bake for 30-35 minutes or until the loaves are golden brown and sound hollow when tapped. Brush with melted butter, if desired. Remove to a cooling rack and cool before slicing. MAKES 2 LOAVES.

Just a few notes. I typically go with five and a half cups of flour only and I put it all in at once. That’s partly my impatience, but it always succeeds, so I have no qualms about it. If you do try this recipe, go on over to Lil Luna and rate the recipe.

Happy baking!