white bread

Beautiful, right?

Then add these...

plus two more full loaves that I've already wrapped for the freezer...

plus one more mini loaf that I already ate...

and you get the output of just ONE recipe!!!

I can't take credit for this recipe - I stumbled upon it while milling around Pioneer Woman's Tasty Kitchen website.  The person who posted it made some pretty big claims - "easiest white bread" ever, "soft but substantial," "your house will smell like heaven," "your family will love you," "your friends will love you"...  

I can say that so far the claims have proven true - it was pretty easy, it's definitely soft, it's definitely substantial, my house smelled amazing, and my husband thought I was awesome.  So far, my friends haven't expressed their love...but that's because I haven't shared the goods yet. :-)

I'll add a few of my own claims to this recipe - it takes only a few ingredients, makes enough bread to last a few weeks (at least!), and is delicious.  It also makes good sandwich bread (see picture at the bottom of this post) - this was a major plus for me.  I'll definitely be making this again. 

Check out the recipe here or see below.

White Bread

• 4 cups Warm Water
• 8 Tablespoons Sugar
• 4 Tablespoons Yeast
• 4 Tablespoons Vegetable Oil
• 4 teaspoons Salt
• 7 cups Flour

  Add sugar to 1 cup of the warm water and then dissolve yeast in the sugar water. Let sugar/yeast mixture rest until doubled in size.  Pour oil in bowl, add sugar/yeast mixture, rest of water, and salt. Add flour 2-3 cups at a time. Knead (a gentle massage) to make a soft, not sticky dough.

Cut the dough into four equal pieces. Set on greased counter top, cover with towel, and let stand for 15 minutes.

Pound each piece with a wooden spoon for 1 minute (gets the air bubbles out). Massage each piece as you form into loaves and place in greased loaf pans.

Allow to raise until doubled in size. Bake at 350 for 30-45 minutes (19-20 minutes for mini loaves as seen in the picture) or until golden on top. Rub butter on top while it’s warm.

To store, wrap in plastic wrap and place in a zip-top freezer bag.