Get 5 by 9 inch loaf pan (4.5 by 8.5 is even better if you can find it)
Ingredients
2.25 tsp or packet of active dry yeast. I prefer Red Star.
1 cup water between 110 and 120 degrees
Egg (set it on the counter for an hour or two before making bread to warm it up)
2 TBS sugar or honey
1.5 tsp of salt (I've halved this to .75 and been successful)
2 TBS of oil - I've used both olive oil and guacamole oil
3 cups of bread flour with extra to put on counter or on dough when kneading
* Put flour in large bowl
* In smaller bowl, put yeast and add water, stir to dissolve. Let sit for five minutes for yeast to bloom. (Watch this, it's actually kind of cool)
* Add sugar and egg - beat until incorporated
* Add salt and oil - beat until incorporated
* Add mixture to flour.
* Take a wood spoon and hold it close to bowl part of the spoon and mix with the handle until it forms a somewhat cohesive mass. You should be able to pat it into a roundish mound and not be sticky but tacky.
* Sprinkle flour on counter. Sprinkle some on top of dough as needed. Knead for 8 to 10 minutes. Test the flour every now and then by grabbing some pieces of it and pulling it away from the main mass so that you have it spread between your hands by a few inches. If you can do that without tearing and see light through it, knead it 6 to 8 times more.
* Shape it back into a ball. Put in bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and put in a warm spot for an hour or until it doubles (or more) in size.
* Punch the dough to degas it and take it out and put on counter. Try spreading it by pulling on opposite ends. If it's still springing back when you let it go, let it rest for five minutes.
* Spread it out into a rectangle with a width that matches your dough pan. Roll it up tightly and tuck in the ends if needed and pinch the seam closed. Should be in a basic loaf shape. Put it in the pan seam down and put it back (uncovered) into a warm place for 30 to 60 minutes or until the dough rises at least an inch over the edge of the pan.
* Heat oven to 400 degrees and bake it for 25 minutes.
* Leave it in the pan for 10 minutes after removing from oven and get a stick of butter and gently rub it around the top.
* Take it out of pan and let cool completely on a cooling rack. When cutting, lay it on its side as the top will be softer and squisher (though it bounces back when pressed on).
TlalocW
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