Vegan option. Featured in Guide: Spring Tea Party
Ingredients
4 1/4 cups flour
1 tbsp sugar
Pinch salt
Packet yeast
1 cup + 10 tbsp warm (not hot) almond milk OR dairy milk
¼ cup softened vegan butter OR dairy butter
Instructions
Combine 3 3/4 cup flour, sugar, salt, and yeast.
Add milk gradually, until dough comes together. You may not need all of the milk.
Add the butter to the dough, and knead until combined. The dough will be very wet and greasy.
Combine in the rest 1/2 cup of the flour. Knead the dough until it is smooth.
Leave the dough in a greased bowl until doubled in sized, about 2 hours.
Knock the air out of the dough and briefly knead it. Roll it out in a rectangle, the shorter side about the length of the loaf tin you will use. Roll the rectangle from the short side.
Place the roll in the greased baking tin and let it rise again for about an hour, until it has reached the top of the tin.
Preheat oven to 350 F.
Bake for 35 minutes.
Tips
Adding the butter
When you add the butter it gets messy. Don't panic. It will feel weird. Know that you will add more flour, and that will make the dough the way it should be.
Rise times
I give you examples such as 2 hours, but don't depend on my timings. Your bread will not act the same as mine did. Depending on the temperature, ingredients, and warmth of your milk, things may be different. The first rise should double the loaf in size, so simply wait until that has happened. If you're waiting 5 hours, something is probably wrong. But your dough might take 1, 2, or 3 hours. For the second rise, leave the dough in the greased baking tin until it reaches the top, then bake it. Mine took about an hour, but yours may be different.
Knowing if it's baked
This can be tricky. I've always been scared of bread because of The Great British Baking Show. But, if your bread is nicely brownish golden, it's probably ready. Let it cool a little, then take it out of the tin and try the hollow sound test. Mine definitely made a distinctive hollow sound.
Calories
Baked goods are often high in sugar, fat, and carbs. As someone who bakes often, I have to watch how much I eat. I love to eat. I do. I also love to have a healthy body. That being said, I appreciate when a recipe states a calorie count. So I've decided to provide that for you.
Total calories: 2,407
Divide that number by how many slices you cut. I cut 18, so each slice was 133 calories. If you used different ingredients, your calories will be different.
Knead the dough until it is smooth and elastic.
Roll the dough into a rectangle, the shorter side as long as the loaf tin you will use.
Once the dough is rolled, place it in your loaf tin to to rise to the top.
Tap the bottom of your loaf. If it is fully baked it will make a hollow sound.
Slices perfectly.
Great for toast or sandwiches! See my tea sandwiches recipe for inspiration.
Love,
Rachel