Easy White Bread
There’s nothing more comforting than the aroma of freshly baked bread wafting through your home.
Ingredients
- 2 Packages Active Dry Yeast
- 3 tbsp White Sugar
- 2 ½ cup Warm Water
- 6 ½ cup Bread Flour
- 3 tbsp Lard Softened
- 1 tbsp Salt
Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl, dissolve the sugar in the warm water. Sprinkle the yeast over the top. Let it stand for 5-10 minutes until the mixture becomes foamy and frothy on top. This "proofs" the yeast, ensuring it's alive and active. If it doesn't foam, your yeast may be expired, and you'll need to start over with fresh yeast.
- Once the yeast is bubbly, add the softened lard, salt, and about 2 cups of the bread flour to the bowl. Stir with a wooden spoon until everything is well combined. Continue adding the flour, about ½ cup at a time, until a soft, slightly sticky dough forms and begins to pull away from the sides of the bowl.
- Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Knead for 8-10 minutes. Use a push-fold-turn motion: push the dough away with the heel of your hand, fold it over on itself, and give it a quarter turn. Continue this rhythm until the dough becomes smooth and elastic. If it's too sticky, add a tablespoon of flour at a time, but avoid adding too much, as this can create a dense loaf.Pro-Tip: To check if it's kneaded enough, perform the "windowpane test." Pinch off a small piece of dough and gently stretch it between your fingers. If you can stretch it thin enough to see light through it without it tearing, the gluten is well-developed, and it's ready.
- Lightly grease a clean, large bowl with oil or cooking spray. Place the dough in the bowl, turning it over once to coat the top with oil. Cover the bowl with a damp cloth or plastic wrap. Let it rise in a warm, draft-free spot for about 1 hour, or until it has doubled in size.
- Gently punch down the risen dough to release the air. Transfer it to a lightly floured surface and divide it into two equal pieces. To shape each loaf, gently flatten one piece of dough into a rectangle. Starting from a short end, roll the dough up tightly into a log, pinching the seam closed with each roll to prevent large air pockets. Once rolled, pinch the final seam and the ends of the loaf to seal them, and tuck the ends slightly under. Place each loaf, seam-side down, into a greased 9x5-inch loaf pan.
- Cover the loaf pans with a damp cloth and let them rise in a warm place for another 40 minutes, or until the dough has risen about 1 inch above the rim of the pans.
- Preheat your oven to 425°F (220°C). Place the loaves on the center rack and immediately reduce the oven temperature to 375°F (190°C). This initial high heat helps the bread rise rapidly (known as "oven spring"). Bake for about 30 minutes, or until the crust is a deep golden brown and the loaves sound hollow when tapped on the bottom. For a guaranteed perfect bake, the internal temperature should read 190-195°F (88-90°C) on an instant-read thermometer.
- Remove the loaves from the oven and let them cool in the pans for about 10 minutes before carefully turning them out onto a wire rack. It's crucial to let the bread cool completely before slicing. Slicing warm bread can cause the soft interior to tear and have a gummy texture.
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