Today’s recipe for a leavened bread: soft white bread loaf.
How many times have you bought white bread, the pre-sliced one, at the supermarket? Well, I confess that sometimes I’ve bought it too to make sandwiches or eat it for breakfast with some jam instead of cookies; however, it often ended up going stale rather than being eaten. Occasionally, I make it at home, and it disappears quickly, a neutral-flavored bread perfect to eat with a sweet spread or cold cuts, great for slicing and then filling for birthday party buffets along with mini pizzas, the savory pie, and the puff pastry savory treat.
Soft and fragrant, the white bread loaf is part of the ‘casetta’ breads, so-called because they are baked in a mold; its preparation is simple and easy to do even for the less experienced.
Now let’s see together, step by step, how to make this recipe.
To receive the recipe of the day for free
You might also be interested in
- Difficulty: Easy
- Cost: Very cheap
- Rest time: 4 Hours
- Preparation time: 15 Minutes
- Portions: 1 loaf pan 10/12 inches
- Cooking methods: Oven
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: All seasons
Ingredients for the Soft White Bread Loaf
- 3 cups Manitoba flour
- 0.4 cup all-purpose flour
- 0.5 tsp granulated sugar
- 0.63 cup milk
- 1 tsp dry yeast
- 1 egg (medium)
- 3.5 tbsp lard
- 1.5 tsp fine salt
- as needed milk (for brushing)
Tools
- 1 Scale
- 1 Stand Mixer
- 1 Bowl
- 1 Pastry Board
- 1 Baking Pan
Let’s Make the Soft White Bread Loaf
In the bowl of the stand mixer, combine the mixed flours, dry yeast, and sugar, and begin kneading with the dough hook. Then start pouring in the milk gradually, and then, while continuing to knead, add the egg.
Let the ingredients blend together, then add the salt and start incorporating the lard piece by piece, adding the next only when the previous one is well absorbed. You can add the lard in three or four parts. When the last piece of lard is added, let the mixer work for another minute to properly bind the dough.
Take the resulting dough, form a ball, and let it rise in a lightly oiled bowl until it doubles in size, about two hours at room temperature, covered with plastic wrap.
When the dough has risen well, deflate it by pressing in the center, then turn it out onto a work surface and stretch it into a rectangle. You can do this easily with your hands without using a rolling pin. The short side of the rectangle should be the length of the pan.
At this point, roll the dough onto itself to shape the bread loaf. Starting from one of the short sides, roll until you reach the other side, thus obtaining a roll the length of the loaf pan.
Grease the chosen pan (I used a 10×4 inch loaf pan) and place the rolled dough inside, cover with plastic wrap, and let it rise at room temperature until doubled, which will take a couple of hours but always depends on the temperature. Once fully risen, brush the surface with a little milk to shine.
Bake the bread in a preheated oven at a temperature of 356°F (180°C) for 40 minutes. Once baked, remove it from the oven and let it cool slightly, then remove from the pan and let it cool on a rack. While you wait, take a photo of your bread loaf and post it on social media tagging me (a mischievous curly girl instagram and facebook) and let me know what you’ll enjoy it with.
A Curly Girl Recommends
The bread loaf keeps well for three to four days, and it can be frozen, perhaps sliced, so you can take out just the amount you need and have it ready each morning as if freshly made.
FAQ (Questions and Answers)
What can I substitute for lard in the bread loaf dough?
You can substitute lard in the bread loaf or white bread dough with the same amount of butter or margarine. With the latter, the flavor will differ.
