A classic loaf of bread is ideal for any meal or occasion: breakfast, snacks, appetizers, etc. It's both the fluffiness and shape and size that characterises this type of bread. Although we could just buy it from the shop, we all know that homemade bread is always much tastier and at OneHowTo we want you to enjoy the fruits of your labour with your own baked loaf by following our recipe on how to make bread.
Bring together all the ingredients in a large bowl: first add the softened butter and mix with salt and sugar, then add the sieved flour as well as yeast, water and milk and continue mixing until you get a homogeneous paste. When that's done, cover the bowl with transparent film or paper and leave to stand for about 10 minutes so the yeast ferments and the dough grows.
Then remove the dough from bowl and place it over the marble or any other smooth surface where you can work. You need to knead the dough with your hands so that it is softened, nor should it stick on the table or to your hands (which is why it is not mandatory to flour the work surface).
After kneading the dough for about 10 minutes, wrap it with a cloth or put it back in the bowl covered with plastic wrap and leave to rest for an hour and a half so that it rises.
After this time you will have to knead the dough again so that excess gas is removed from the inside your classic white loaf. Releasing the gas helps to avoid too many bubbles in the bread crumbs.
The next step will be to squash the dough with your hands or with a rolling pin and form a rectangle that is not too thick. Then roll the dough exerting pressure to further remove gas; the result should be a kind of bread dough roll.
Grease the mould that you will use (preferably a plum cake style that is elongated) with a little oil or butter and put the rolled dough into it, making sure the fold or sealing is at the bottom. Now you need to let the dough sit again until it has doubled in size, you may need to let it stand for one hour.
Now it is time to put your bread in the oven, preheated to 220°C and let it bake for about 30 minutes. After this time, make sure the bread is well cooked and then remove and let cool, preferably on a rack.
Once the bread has cooled enough you can slice it with a bread knife. We recommend that you eat it fresh. This bread is perfect for a fresh sandwich, lightly toasted with a butter and marmelade, french toast, or even cut into soldiers and dipped in olive oil, balsamic and dukkah. For more ideas of what you can make with your classic white loaf of bread, read this OneHowTo article for 4 recipes with sliced bread.
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