And yes, I love bread. And that my dear friends includes white bread. Good white bread that is! Because there are just those times when nothing is better than a sandwich made with two slices of wonderful homemade white bread. Think the day after Thanksgiving. For me, the best sandwich in the world contains few ingredients. White bread generously spread with soft butter and mayonnaise. (Both pieces.) Then tender, thin slices of leftover turkey lightly sprinkled with salt and pepper layered between those perfect pieces of bread. If that isn’t heaven, then I don’t know what is!
Or a perfect tuna sandwich made with white bread. (See my recipe for a perfect Tuna Salad Sandwich below.) These too are heavenly.
Or how about fabulous French toast. Thick slices of white bread, dipped in a combination of eggs, milk, vanilla, and cinnamon, then fried until golden brown and served with soft butter and warm maple syrup. Yum!
And for those of you who might still be resisting bread baking because you feel it would be too daunting, this bread could not be easier.
So next time you think about discrediting white bread, because well – it’s white, think again. This is not like cheap white bread from a grocery store. This is the real thing. This is what white bread should taste like. Bake some and see for yourself.
- 1 (¼-oz.) envelope active dry yeast or 1 scant tablespoon active dry yeast
- 1 tsp. sugar
- 1 c. warm water
- 2 T. olive oil, plus more for greasing bowl
- 1 tsp. kosher salt
- 2½ – 3 c. bread flour
Combine yeast, sugar, and warm water in the bowl of your heavy-duty stand mixer; let proof for 5 minutes.
Then add the olive oil, salt, and 2 cups of the flour to the bowl. Using your dough hook, beat until ingredients are combined. Gradually add additional flour until dough begins to leave the sides of the bowl and pull together. Knead for about 5 minutes or until dough appears soft and smooth.
Pour a small amount of olive oil over the dough, and using your fingers, form the dough into a ball, making sure the entire surface is covered with the oil. Cover bowl with plastic wrap, and let stand in a warm place until doubled in bulk, about 1 hour. Punch down, and let stand an additional 10 minutes. Form per instructions below.
Loaf or Loaves:
Shape dough into a loaf shape and place in an olive oil greased 9 x 5-inch loaf pan. (For smaller loaves, cut dough in half, shape each piece into a loaf shape, and place each in a greased loaf pan. Let sit for 10 minutes.
Bake in a pre-heated 400 degree oven for 16 minutes or until golden brown. (The internal temperature should be around 200 degrees.) Cool on a wire rack before slicing.
Note: I prefer 2 small loaves, then I cut the bread fairly thick for our morning toast with butter and honey.
Bâtard Shaped: (think small football shaped)
Shape dough into 2 fairly thin and short baguettes. Place on a lightly greased baking sheet, and cut 3 (¼-inch deep) slits across top of dough with a sharp paring knife. Let sit for 10 minutes.
Bake in a pre-heated 400 degree oven for 16 minutes or until golden brown. (The internal temperature should be around 200 degrees.) Cool on a wire rack before slicing.
Note: the picture above is of bâtard shaped loaves.
TUNA SALAD SANDWICHES (2)
- 1 T. dehydrated onion
- 1 tsp. Dijon mustard
- ¼ c. light mayonnaise, or more as needed
- ¼ tsp. seasoned salt
- freshly ground black pepper
- 1 can water packed albacore tuna
- 4 slices white bread
- lettuce, opt.
- dill pickle slices, opt.
- thinly sliced tomato, opt.
Combine onion, mustard, mayonnaise, seasoned salt, and pepper in a small mixing bowl. Let sit for a couple of minutes for the onion to soften. Stir in drained tuna. Add more mayonnaise if the mixture seems dry. (You want the mixture to have a soft, creamy texture. You know. The kind of sandwich filling that drips onto your plate or shirt while you are taking big bites.)
Spread mixture over 2 pieces of the bread. (Yes the filling will be real thick.) Then layer on lettuce, pickle slices, and thinly sliced tomatoes. Top each with the other slices of bread and dive in. Great served with potato chips.