Attention white bread fans-

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Attention white bread fans-

KAF editor
I'm kind of embarrassed to say I'm a devoted fan of white bread - the softer, milder, moister, and more sliceable, the better. I'm always looking for the next best thing in sliced bread! Does anyone have any hints for special ingredients or techniques, or recipes to share (share the URL) for the BEST homemade white sandwich bread, a la Pepperidge Farm or Arnold?

badge posted by: KAF editor on July 30, 2010 at 11:16 am in Baking, yeast
tags: loaf, toast, white bread
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reply by: halleys on July 31, 2010 at 12:23 am
halleys
I love white bread... can't wait to see some new recipe suggestions.

reply by: PJHA on August 01, 2010 at 7:26 am
PJHA
White bread of all kinds, or crusty, or sandwich, or...?

reply by: Cupcake Princess on August 02, 2010 at 12:11 am
Cupcake Princess
I really like crusty white bread. For soft bread I prefer whole wheat, but maybe I'll give the KAF soft white bread recipe a try someday since I have not liked none of KAF's recipes.

reply by: PJHA on August 02, 2010 at 6:10 am
PJHA
Interesting combo - soft wheat and crusty white. Never thought of it that way, but it's true, when it comes to ww bread I DO like the soft sandwich types, as opposed to crusty. EXCEPT a crusty whole-grain bread that's loaded with dried fruit. I love pecan-raisin rye, for instance... especially toasted. With butter.

reply by: TracyT on August 02, 2010 at 9:30 am
TracyT
I LOVE white bread. My favorite is the Walter Sands (classic white bread) recipe on KAF recipe site. http://www.kingarthurflour.com/recipes/king-arthurs-classic-white-bread-.... Fondly known as Wally bread in my household.

reply by: camelot on August 09, 2010 at 3:22 pm
camelot
The Walter Sands recipe was a huge hit in my household as well. The first time I made it I don't think the loaf lasted 12 hours.

reply by: MrsM on August 12, 2010 at 9:34 am
MrsM
Two of my go-to white bread recipes are from KAF, White Bread 101, and the bread part from Reuben-filled White Caraway rolls. I love a soft and squishy white bread.

reply by: Mike Nolan on August 12, 2010 at 9:42 am
Mike Nolan
Our favorite 'white bread' remains the Austrian Malt Bread recipe from Donna German's first Bread Machine Cookbook. (The secret ingredient is several tablespoons of malted milk powder, the kind you put on ice cream.)

It reminds me of a Vienna bread and is excellent toasted.

I have my adaptation of that recipe over on the old Baking Circle site.

reply by: KAF_MaryJane on August 12, 2010 at 5:44 pm
KAF_MaryJane
Bernard Clayton's book "Complete Book of Bread" has some great recipes. I love the Egg Harbor bread, it has 5, yes 5 rises! Makes a huge loaf that always disappears quickly.

reply by: PaddyL on August 12, 2010 at 11:54 pm
PaddyL
The current favourite in our house is the Buttermilk Sourdough bread, in my posted recipes. On the old BC.

reply by: easyquilts on January 05, 2013 at 8:52 pm
easyquilts
Tracy.... Oh yeah... Wally Bread is very good. I usually add some WWW to it.... Great recipe. I highly recommend it. It's n easy bread to make, too.

Sandy

reply by: aster78 on January 05, 2013 at 9:17 pm
aster78
Chill the dough overnight to develop flavor. Make sure you use a decent quality flour - KA is good! I like to add a cup of oatmeal per loaf for some texture & flavor.

My ciabatta is white bread - does that count? In the mixer, use half bread flour, one half AP flour, water, salt, yeast. Make a very wet dough - too wet to knead - use the mixer to knead, dump the dough in an oiled bowl & chill overnight on your porch or the 'frig. Next day, dump on your counter & using a bench knife, dump well floured blobs onto small sheets of parchment - use floured fingers to push down the dough. Let rise an hour or so to room temperature. Push fingers into the dough again just before baking in very hot & steamed oven. Delicious!

reply by: Wonky on January 05, 2013 at 10:14 pm
Wonky
I have two favorite white bread recipes that I use consistently...Amish White bread..go to allrecipes.com and put it in the search...The only change I make is the sugar amount. The recipe calls for 2/3 C sugar..I decrease that to l/3 cup. I have however used this same recipe for a sweet dough for cinnamon rolls etc, in which case I use the 2/3 cup called for in the recipe, and add 3 T. Butter. Read the reviews. This bread is highly rated.

The other recipe I use is here in a thread somewhere. I will try to locate it. If Robinwaban chimes in here, I gave her the receipe, and I think she is very pleased with it. Very tender, moist, soft crumb.

I think you will enjoy either bread.

reply by: robinwaban on January 05, 2013 at 11:03 pm
robinwaban
When I saw this thread I knew Wonky would put in a word about what I call in my house "Wonky's White Bread". It's delicious and great used in a sandwich or toasted. It also has a great crumb. I froze two loaves and have used them and they tasted just as though they were fresh. I will attach the recipe. Unforunately, this format wouldn't translate correctly to a PDF, so I'm posting it the way I had to save it. Here it is;

3 cups warm water 
3 Tablespoons active dry yeast
 3 Teaspoons salt
 4 Tablespoons vegetable oil (I use Canola) 
l/2 Cup sugar
 8 cups flour (I use 4 cups APF, and 4 cups bread flour)
Directions
In a large bowl, combine warm water, yeast, salt, oil, sugar and the 4 cups APF. Mix thoroughly, and let sponge rise until double in size. (I wrap a couple pieces of suran around the mixing bowl (leaving the bowl on the mixer)(leave the paddle in the dough), and cover the whole machine with a towel. This first rise will only take about 20 minutes. Remove the suran and towel, and mix the sponge with the paddle until about the original volume of the dough. Switch out the paddle for the dough hook.
Begin adding the remaining 4 cups of bread flour, until the dough leaves the sides of the bowl. Knead in the KA for about 5-6 minutes. Place dough in a greased bowl, and turn several times to coat. Cover with suran, and a towel and allow to rise until double. (at this point, I deflate the dough, and let it rise a second time).
Deflate the dough and let it rest a few minutes. Divide into 3 equal pieces. Shape into loaves and place in three 8 l/2 by 4 l/2 greased bread pans. Let rise til dough comes l" over pan. (I actually let it rise about 2"). (There is plenty of yeast in this recipe to to sustain a nice tall loaf).

reply by: GinaG on January 05, 2013 at 11:31 pm
GinaG
This method supposedly renders a very tender crumb:

http://community.kingarthurflour.com/content/tang-zhong-method-bread

You can use this technique for just about any type of bread.

reply by: janiebakes on January 05, 2013 at 11:56 pm
janiebakes
That is an amazing technique. The bread is very soft and you can pull off pieces in long feathery strands.

reply by: pammyowl on January 06, 2013 at 12:39 am
pammyowl
No shame in liking white bread! My DH loves it, while I prefer whole grain. I just add Hi-Maize fiber so it is healthier. The Walter Sands is a favorite here!

reply by: frick on January 06, 2013 at 4:50 pm
frick
We love white bread too. In fact, the only breads DH likes other than that are the sourdough types. I use my own recipe weekly, and make great rolls from it too. I'm putting the Walter Sands recipe here, AND my own, developed after altering two other recipes to our family taste. You will see how close they are. Scary.

Walter Sands recipe via KAF's recipe log.

1 1/3 to 1 1/2 cups lukewarm water*
1 heaping tablespoon honey
2 1/4 teaspoons instant yeast
1 3/4 teaspoons salt
2 tablespoons soft butter
4 cups King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
1/3 cup Baker's Special Dry Milk or 1/2 cup nonfat dry milk granules
*Use the lesser amount in summer or humid climates; the greater amount in winter or drier climates.

Frick's White Loaves or Rolls (I swear I came up with this before I ever heard of Walter Sands)

1.5 cups milk (I use 2 % and no longer bother with dry milk)
1.5-1.667 ounces honey (that's about 2 tablespoons)
2 tsp instant yeast (you don't need more)
2 tsp. salt
2 tbsp butter (1 ounce)
18.25 ounces KAF Bread or AP flour (this is 4.25 cups)
I make no alteration for climate or temperature.

This makes two 1-pound loaves or two 9" round pans of dinner rolls. This will rise into spectacularly light, soft loaves, or by simply baking it before it has risen so much, you can get a little more dense loaf which makes fabulous toast. I cut them in half and freeze three halves. That way we always have it fresh.

This is the bread that once was baked accidentally by my husband at 250 F. I have never seen bread so high, 4-5 inches above the pan, actually TOO high, too airy and staled far too quickly. Oddly enough, it did not fall or collapse. The gluten in that fabulous flour held it together.

reply by: Joan~Ga girl on January 06, 2013 at 7:41 pm
Joan~Ga girl
Wonky this is my favorite bread too,Amish White from allrecipes.com.I make it by the recipe but I do use all purpose flour and it's awesome.So easy and I can't say enough about it.My sister made this for the first time making bread and it turned out good,she now bakes all the time,this bread also stays fresh a long time!I like to put a cornstarch wash on mine and sprinkle sesame seeds on top,when it comes out of the oven I butter the top to keep it a soft crust,that's the way we like it.

Ya'll should give this a try for sure.

reply by: Wonky on January 06, 2013 at 8:16 pm
Wonky
joan~Ga girl...I have tried many, many recipes for white bread, until I tried the Amish White Bread. This and the one Robinwaban reprinted below is where my search stopped. It would be hard, in my humble opinion to find anything better. Glad your family enjoys it also.

I also use either of these breads for a killer recipe I have for bread pudding. When the bread is 3 or four days old, I cube it, and let it stale overnight in a pan on the counter, and make the dessert the next day. I can talk my husband into anything by bribing him with bread pudding.

reply by: Wonky on January 15, 2013 at 10:10 pm
Wonky
Oh, boy...here we go again in our search for the perfect white loaf of bread. I tried a new recipe today...and I have to say it rates right up there with my other favorites. This recipe is definitely a keeper, and I am going to put it in my rotation with my other "BESTS".

It has a whole cup of sour cream, which makes for a beautiful moist, tender crumb. I am thinking this bread should also stay soft and moist for at least 3 or 4 days. It produced a very high loaf, and a wonderful creamy brown crust.

The only change I made to the recipe was to add a couple tablespoons of dough enhancer.

Robin and KAF editor... (and everyone else)I am hoping you will give this a try and let me know what you think.

What can I say..I'm from Wisconsin...so any recipe including wonderful dairy products always piques my interest.

BTW.. this is a very soft dough, try to resist adding more flour than the recipe calls for.

Sour Cream White Bread

2 C warm water
4 tsp active dry yeast
1 C. sour cream
2 T. sugar
2 tsp. salt
2 tbsp. canola oil
6 C. bread flour

In large bowl combine warm water, sugar and yeast. Allow to bloom for 5-10 minutes. Add salt, sour cream and canola oil. Add 3 cups of flour and beat for 3 minutes in stand mixer on speed 2 with flat beater. Change out to dough hook.

Continue to add flour until all is incorporated. Knead at speed 2 for 8 minutes. (dough is very soft and will not pull away from the sides of the bowl) Place dough in lightly greased bowl, turning to coat. Cover with plastic wrap, and allow to rise until double in bulk.

Deflate dough and allow to rest covered on the counter for 10 minutes. Roll dough to remove air bubbles. Form into loaves and place in two greased 9x5 pans. Cover and let rise till dough crests about l inch over top of pan. (this dough has great oven spring)

Bake at 375 for 40 to 45 minutes. (mine reached 200 degrees in about 40 minutes.) Turn out onto cooling rack.

Let me know what you think...Wonky

reply by: robinwaban on January 15, 2013 at 10:25 pm
robinwaban
It's going to snow tomorrow and I plan to work from home. So.... guess I'll be making this. Sounds interesting. I will take pics with scratch and sniff options (available on very few computers).

reply by: Wonky on January 15, 2013 at 10:41 pm
Wonky
Robin...that gives me an idea...let's invent a scratch and sniff option for computers. They would sell to bakers all across America...and...we'd be rich. LOL

reply by: Wonky on January 15, 2013 at 11:05 pm
Wonky
Darn...In the recipe below, I forgot that after deflating the dough, knead for 3-4 minutes, then cover and let rest for 10 minutes and continue per directions. Sorry bakers...hope I didn't create problems for anyone.

reply by: robinwaban on January 15, 2013 at 11:07 pm
robinwaban
I own the patent. Too late.

reply by: randyd on January 16, 2013 at 6:10 am
randyd
One easy way to enhance a recipe like this is incorporating a sponge into a recipe like the KAF white bread recipe. Might be just the edge you are looking for.

reply by: robinwaban on January 16, 2013 at 2:58 pm
robinwaban
My goodness, Wonky, this dough is so... sticky. I was so concerned to include your directions to knead the dough an extra 3-5 minutes after the first rise that I forgot to let it rest for 10. It's rising as I write this. Amazing first rise. Took pics along the way. I'll let you know the verdict soon.

reply by: robinwaban on January 16, 2013 at 5:07 pm
robinwaban
Well, I posted the pics to my personal page. Can you smell the bread? No? Darn, I'll have to revise my patent. Anyway, I was so anxious to get the breads in that perhaps I could have waited a little longer for the 2nd rise. It was almost an inch above the rim. Anyway, I banged one bread against the rack putting it in. Wow, a little surprised when it deflated a bit. Never had that happen. I baked them at 375 for 40 minutes. Checked the bread temp after 40 min. and it was 205 degrees so I took them right out. Top was not soft but browned and had a hard crust. The loaves, however, were very soft with a nice spring. And the taste? Yum! Cut a thick piece and had it with jam. Giving the rest away!

reply by: GinaG on January 16, 2013 at 6:07 pm
GinaG
Drool-worthy pics of your fabulous bread, Robin!

reply by: psycnrs1 on January 25, 2013 at 6:57 am
psycnrs1
To KAF Editor for the type of bread you mention I say the recipe that comes with the Bakers Special Dry Milk scaled for your pullman pan.
I am making the Sour Cream bread recipe as soon as I post this. I am seeing grilled cheese tonight and soup when it snows.

reply by: robinwaban on January 25, 2013 at 7:27 am
robinwaban
Psycnrs1- that sour cream bread kept well for 5 days. I lied, I kept one loaf and had a slice for breakfast every morning until it was gone!

reply by: psycnrs1 on January 25, 2013 at 10:02 am
psycnrs1
It is rising now, I have it in my USA Pan Hearth loaf pan. Always happy to find a recipe I can put in there. Depending on whats left I am planning on French Toast Sunday. If it is as good as I think it will be I may have to make another loaf!
KathyG

reply by: Sheryle on January 25, 2013 at 10:50 am
Sheryle
I love white bread and am anxious to try the recipes listed here...especially the one using sour cream.

reply by: jingles54 on January 25, 2013 at 2:45 pm
jingles54
oh so a white bread fan made Bernard claytons buttermilk bread yesterday a little heavier maybe than what everyone is talking about but great flavor -have copied the recipes here and will be giving them a try next week -my weekends are for work thanks for the memories -oh recipes lol

reply by: psycnrs1 on January 25, 2013 at 6:18 pm
psycnrs1
Okay, lovely dough to work with. I had to split it half to knead to deflate. I felt like I was wrestling a big marlin! It was to much for the hearth pan so used two loaf pans. Very soft crumb. I cut the salt back a little but I will not do it next time.
Did not do grilled cheese tonight, had requests for chicken and dumplings. Thankful for the pressure cooker to get the chicken done quick with great stock. Bread will be used tomorrow.

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