Chef John's White Bread
Ingredients
- 1 ¼ cups whole milk, warmed
- 1 (.25 ounce) package active dry yeast
- 2 ¾ to 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 3 tablespoons very soft unsalted butter, plus more for greasing the pan
- 1 large egg, beaten
- 1 tablespoon white sugar
- 1 tablespoon white vinegar
- 1 teaspoon fine salt
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 pinch cayenne pepper
- 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour, or as needed
- 2 tablespoons melted butter, divided
Shop ingredients
Instacart® is a registered trademark of Maplebear Inc.
Instructions
- Pour warm milk into a bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook. Sprinkle yeast on top and let dissolve until a few small bubbles begin to a form, 10 to 15 minutes.
- Add 2 3/4 cups flour, softened butter, beaten egg, sugar, vinegar, salt, and baking soda. Knead on low speed until the dough begins to come together, adding up to 1/4 cup more flour if needed. Increase the speed slightly and knead for about 3 more minutes. Use a spatula to scrape the sides clean and gather the dough into the center. Cover and let rise until doubled in volume, 1 1/2 to 2 hours.
- Butter a spatula and a 9x5-inch loaf pan. Scrape the dough into the prepared loaf pan using the spatula. Smooth out the top to distribute the dough evenly. Dust the top with 1 tablespoon flour and press gently to even out the dough. Let rise in the pan for 30 minutes.
- Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
- Use a sharp knife or razor to cut a deep slash lengthwise through the center of the loaf; you may need to go over it several times. Brush the top with most of the melted butter.
- Bake in the preheated oven until golden brown, about 30 minutes.
- Remove from the oven and brush hot loaf with the remaining butter. Let cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then invert onto a wire rack to cool for at least 1 hour before slicing.
Source
Original recipe: View Original