Wanted: Single White Loaf for the Single White Female

Ok, now that the title has your attention, I have to point out that I’m not single. But I am crazy like Jennifer Jason Leigh in “Single White Female,” or even in “Miami Blues.”

But that’s not what this post is about. It’s about bread.

There is no better smell than the smell of oven-fresh homemade bread. I have tried bread a few times and found that the process was long and lots of hard work. And even though the end result was down right delicious I kept thinking why bother. I could just go to the bakery and pick up a loaf when the craving hit me.

Then I stumbled upon a recipe that made just one loaf pretty easily.

Ingredients

• 1 tsp of granulated sugar
• 1 & 1/4 cups of warm water
• 1 package – 8 grams of active dry yeast (1 tbsp, 15ml)
• 2 cups of all purpose flour
• 2 tbsp of cooking oil
• 1 tbsp of granulated sugar
• 1 tsp of salt
• 1 cup of all purpose flour

Making the bread

• Stir the first amount of sugar into warm water in a large warmed bowl to dissolve the sugar. Sprinkle the yeast over top. Let the mixture stand about 10 minutes then stir.
• Combine 2 cups of flour, cooking oil, sugar and salt with the yeast mixture and beat on low to moisten, then beat on high for approximately 2 minutes.
• Work in the last remaining cup of flour into the batter. Cover with a tea towel and let stand in the oven with light on and door closed for about 40 minutes or until doubled in bulk.
• Stir batter down and spoon into a greased loaf pan. Cover with a sheet of greased waxed paper and tea towel. Let stand in oven once again with light on and door closed for approximately 20 minutes or until doubled in size and reaching the edges of the loaf pan.
• Bake in a pre-heated (375°F / 190°C) for about 25-30 minutes. Cool in pan for about 10 minutes then transfer onto a cooling rack. Makes 1 loaf of bread.