Best Crusty White Bread Recipes

CRUSTY WHITE BREAD

Steps:

• In a small mixing bowl, dissolve yeast and sugar in the warm water. Let stand until creamy, about 10 minutes.
• In a large mixing bowl, combine the yeast mixture with the milk, the butter or margarine, 4 cups of the flour and the salt; stir until well combined. Add the remaining flour, 1/2 cup at a time, stirring well after each addition. When the dough has pulled together, turn it out onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth and supple, about 8 minutes.
• Lightly oil a large mixing bowl, place the dough in the bowl and turn to coat with oil. Cover with a damp cloth and put in a warm place to rise until doubled in volume, about 1 hour.
• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
• Deflate the dough and turn it out onto a lightly floured surface. Divide the dough into two equal pieces and form into loaves. Place the loaves into two lightly greased 9x5 inch loaf pans. Cover the loaves with a damp cloth and let rise until doubled in volume, about 40 minutes.
• Mist loaves with water and bake at 400 degrees F (200 degrees C) oven for 20 to 30 minutes or until the loaves are golden brown and the bottom of a loaf sounds hollow when tapped.

SIMPLE WHITE CRUSTY BREAD

Steps:

• Begin by warming the flour in the oven for about 10 minutes, then turn the oven off. Sift the flour, salt, yeast and sugar into a bowl, make a well in the centre of the mixture, then add the water. Now mix to a dough, starting off with a wooden spoon and using your hands in the final stages of mixing, adding a spot more water if there are any dry bits. Wipe the bowl clean with the dough and transfer it to a flat work surface (you may need to flour this).
• Knead the dough for 3 minutes or until it develops a sheen and blisters under the surface (it should also be springy and elastic). You can now either return the dough to the mixing bowl or transfer it to a clean bowl; either way, cover it with clingfilm that has been lightly oiled on the side that is facing the dough. Leave it until it looks as though it has doubled in bulk, which will be about 2 hours at room temperature.
• After that, knock the air out, then knead again for 2 minutes. Now divide the dough in half, pat each piece out to an oblong, then fold one end into the centre and the other in on top. Put each one into a buttered tin, sprinkle each with a dusting of flour, then place them side by side in an oiled polythene bag until the dough rises above the tops of the tins – this time about an hour at room temperature. Alternatively, place all the dough in the one tin. Meanwhile, pre-heat the oven to gas mark 8, 450F (230C).
• Bake the loaves on the centre shelf for 30-40 minutes, or 35-45 minutes for the large loaf, until they sound hollow when their bases are tapped. Now return them, out of their tins, upside-down to the oven to crisp the base and side crust for about 5 minutes, then cool on a wire rack.

EASIEST CRUSTY WHITE BREAD (MOTHER EARTH NEWS)

Steps:

• Starting the night before (or early morning if you want to bake for the evening), in a large mixing bowl use your hands to mix the flour, yeast, salt and enough water to form a soft and sticky dough. You may have to add more water depending on a variety of factors, including the type of flour you use. Do not knead, but cover and let the dough rise at room temperature. When you get up in the morning, or a while before baking in the evening, wet your hands and lift the dough onto a flate, wet surface. Gently stretch it and fold it 2 to 4 times -- that's it. Return it ot the same bowl, cover and let it rise until doubled in size. This will take about an hour or so. If it is cool in the room, put the dough in a warmer area to do this final rise. At this time, find a bowl that will accommodate double the size of the risen dough and line it with a cotton or linen towel dusted with flour. Turn the risen dough (should have doubled by now) out with wet hands and again, fold it over itself about four times. (Personally, I skip this aforementioned step and the bread is wonderful.) Turn into the towel-lined bowl and let rise for one to four hours, depending on the room temperature. Preheat your oven to 425 degrees Farenheit. Once the dough is doubled, turn onto a well-floured peel or stiff cardboard. Ideally you will bake this on a pre-heated pizza stone or heavy baking sheet. Use the peel or cardboard to transfer the dough onto the baking surface. Bake until the crust if golden brown which may take 60 to 75 minutes. The magazine calls for the bread to cool for two hours, bottom up, but you can enjoy it minutes out of the oven.

CRUSTY WHITE BREAD / BUNS

Steps:

• 1. Preheat oven to 400°F.
• 2. In 4-5 quart mixer bowl, combine warm water & yeast, stir to mix & let set until yeast proofs (gets foamy).
• 3. Put dough hook on mixer head. Stir in sugar, salt, oil and 3 cups flour. Beat on lowest speed of mixer until well blended.
• 4. Add in remaining flour, 1/2 cup at a time, mixing well on low speed after each addition. Only add enough flour to make dough easy to handle & not sticky. Turn dough onto floured surface & knead 5-10 minutes, until dough is smooth and elastic. (I use my KitchenAid mixer on #3-#4 speed to do the kneading)
• 5. Place dough into oiled bowl, turn to coat it all over. Cover with cloth & let rise in warm place for about 45 minutes, until doubled in bulk. When you push your finger in center, impression should remain. When doubled, punch it down by pushing your fist into the center of dough, then work it to remove as much air as possible. Form back into a ball.
• 6. Cover & let rise again until doubled in bulk (orig. recipe says 1 hr but mine took about 30 min). The orig. recipe calls for brushing tops of dough with a little oil, but I do not do this.
• 7. Put pans in oven, mist bread/buns with cold water right before you close the oven door. Use rack in middle position of oven, keep pans from touching. Also, I switch the pans and turn halfway through to ensure even baking.
• 8. Bake loaves for 35 minutes, buns about 20-25 min. When tapped, they should sound hollow and you should be able to shake the pan & bread/buns will be loose. Immediately remove to racks to cool. They will look a little dull on top but that's the crusty part!

CRUSTY EUROPEAN STYLE WHITE BREAD

Steps:

• In a warm bowl dissolve yeast in warm water. Add salt, melted butter (cooled), and flour.
• Using stand mixer with dough hook mix ingredients, on low speed, for one minute. Allow to rest for 2-3 minutes.
• Continue to knead for 2 more minutes on low speed until dough is firm and no longer sticky.
• Place dough in greased bowl, turning to grease the dough. Cover with plastic wrap and allow to rise for 1 hour. Dough should increase 1.5-2 times.
• Deflate dough and turn on to floured surface. Pat dough flat into a rectangular shape and fold into three sections as you would a letter. Repeat 2 times.
• Return to bowl, smooth side up and cover with plastic. Allow to rise for at least 1-1.5 hours. Dough should increase 2.5-3 times.
• Cut dough into two equal parts and shape each into a round loaf making sure that you create sufficient surface tension on the top of the loaf. Gather the dough at the bottom as you shape the loaf, pinching the dough together on the bottom and forming a seal. Place both loaves bottom side up on a floured linen towel and cover with another floured linen towel. Allow to rise for an additional 1-1.5 hours.
• Note: all rises should be in a fairly warm place (70-75F).
• Place an oven proof skillet at the bottom of oven.
• Preheat oven to 475F, then reduce to 450°F.
• Place bread on parchment paper and, with very sharp knife, cut a cross into the top about 1/2 inch deep.
• Slide parchment paper with loaf into oven on a pre-heated baking stone. Immediately pour 1/2 cup water into skillet to produce necessary steam. (Check you oven's instructions to make sure that this will not damage your oven.).
• Bake for 20 minutes. Then check bread to be sure it isn't getting too dark. Continue baking for another 15 minutes.
• Check internal bread tempeature with thermometer. If it has reached 200F then it's finished.
• If not finished, reduce to 400F andbake an additions 8-10 minutes. Check temperature again.
• Place on rack, allow to cool before eating.

MOM'S CRUSTY WHITE POTATO BREAD

Steps:

• Mix warm water, yeast, sugar, potato flakes and gluten in a small bowl. Let sit till foamy.
• Transfer yeast mixture to a mixing bowl (Bosch, Kitchen aid or by hand).
• Add salt, 1 cup of oil, eggs and 4 cups of the flour to the yeast mixture and mix with a wire wisk till all is throroughly combined and smooth.
• Change to your kneading attachment and slowly add the remaining 8 cups of flour. Mix on low for 15 minutes or knead by hand until smooth.
• Put the remaining 2 T oil into a large bowl, greasing the sides where the dough will touch.
• Place dough in greased bowl and let rise till double. About one hour.
• Heat oven to 400 degrees.
• Punch down and divide into 4 loaf pans, let rise till double. About 30 minutes.
• Brush risen loaves with egg yolk and sprinkle with the sesame seeds.
• Place in oven for 15 minutes.
• Reduce temperature to 350 degrees, keeping the loaves in the oven, set the timer for 45 minutes.
• Remove from oven and let cool 5 minutes. Remove loaves from pan and place on a wire rack to cool.
• Slice and spread with butter. Yummy!

SIMPLE CRUSTY WHITE BREAD

Steps:

• 1. In a large bowl or plastic container, mix yeast and salt into 3 cups lukewarm water (about 100 degrees). Stir in flour, mixing until there are no dry patches. Dough will be quite loose. Cover, but not with an airtight lid. Let dough rise at room temperature 2 hours (or up to 5 hours). 2. Bake at this point or refrigerate, covered, for as long as two weeks. When ready to bake, sprinkle a little flour on dough and cut off a grapefruit-size piece with serrated knife. Turn dough in hands to lightly stretch surface, creating a rounded top and a lumpy bottom. Put dough on pizza peel sprinkled with cornmeal; let rest 40 minutes. Repeat with remaining dough or refrigerate it. 3. Place broiler pan on bottom of oven. Place baking stone on middle rack and turn oven to 450 degrees; heat stone at that temperature for 20 minutes. 4. Dust dough with flour, slash top with serrated or very sharp knife three times. Slide onto stone. Pour one cup hot water into broiler pan and shut oven quickly to trap steam. Bake until well browned, about 30 minutes. Cool completely. Yield: 4 loaves. Variation: If not using stone, stretch rounded dough into oval and place in a greased, nonstick loaf pan. Let rest 40 minutes if fresh, an extra hour if refrigerated. Heat oven to 450 degrees for 5 minutes. Place pan on middle rack.

KING ARTHUR FLOUR NO-KNEAD CRUSTY WHITE BREAD

Steps:

• Mix and stir ingredients together to make a very sticky, rough dough. If using a stand mixer, beat at medium speed with the beater blade for 30 to 60 seconds. Move to greased bowl or bucket and let rise at room temperature for 2 hours -'til about double. Refrigerate dough for at least 2 hours, or for up to about 7 days. (If pressed for time, skip the initial room-temperature rise, and put it right into the fridge). Over the course of the first day or so in the fridge, it'll rise, then fall. The longer you keep the dough chilled, the tangier it'll get; after 7 days it will taste like sourdough. When ready to bake, sprinkle the top of the dough with flour, making it easier to grab a hunk. Grease your hands and pull off about 1/4 to 1/3 of the dough (14oz to 19oz piece) about the size of a softball or large grapefruit. On a floured work surface round it into a ball or a longer loaf shape. Place dough on parchment (if using stone) or onto a lightly greased or parchment-lined baking sheet. Sift a light coating of flour over the top; this will help keep the dough moist as it rests before baking. Let the dough rise for about 45 to 60 minutes. It won't rise upwards much. Preheat your oven & stone to 450°F while the dough rests. Place a shallow pan on the lowest oven rack, Have 1 cup of hot water ready to go. When ready to bake, take sharp knife and slash the bread about 1/2" deep 2 or 3 times. The bread may deflate a bit. Place the bread -with parchment-directly on the stone or place the pan on the rack above the lower rack. Carefully pour the 1 cup hot water into the shallow pan on the lowest oven rack. It'll bubble and steam; close the oven door quickly. The steam settles on the bread's crust, making it soft and flexible enough to rise as high as possible during those first few crucial minutes of baking. Bake the bread for 25 to 35 minutes, until it's a deep, golden brown. Remove it from the oven, and place it on a rack to cool.

NO-KNEAD CRUSTY WHITE BREAD RECIPE - (4.2/5)

Steps:

• NOTE: The flour/liquid ratio is important in this recipe. If you measure flour by sprinkling it into your measuring cup, then gently sweeping off the excess, use 7 1/2 cups. If you measure flour by dipping your cup into the canister, then sweeping off the excess, use 6 1/2 cups. Most accurate of all, and guaranteed to give you the best results, if you measure flour by weight, use 32 ounces. Combine all of the ingredients in a large mixing bowl, or a large (6-quart), food-safe plastic bucket. For first-timers, "lukewarm" means about 105°F, but don't stress over getting the temperatures exact here. Comfortably warm is fine; "OUCH, that's hot!" is not. Yeast is a living thing; treat it nicely. Mix and stir everything together to make a very sticky, rough dough. If you have a stand mixer, beat at medium speed with the beater blade for 30 to 60 seconds. If you don't have a mixer, just stir-stir-stir with a big spoon or dough whisk till everything is combined. Next, you're going to let the dough rise. If you've made the dough in a plastic bucket, you're all set - just let it stay there, covering the bucket with a lid or plastic wrap; a shower cap actually works well here. If you've made the dough in a bowl that's not at least 6-quart capacity, transfer it to a large bowl; it's going to rise a lot. There's no need to grease the bowl, though you can if you like; it makes it a bit easier to get the dough out when it's time to bake bread. Cover the bowl or bucket, and let the dough rise at room temperature for 2 hours. Then refrigerate it for at least 2 hours, or for up to about 7 days. (If you're pressed for time, skip the room-temperature rise, and stick it right into the fridge). The longer you keep it in the fridge, the tangier it'll get; if you chill it for 7 days, it will taste like sourdough. Over the course of the first day or so, it'll rise, then fall. That's OK; that's what it's supposed to do. When you're ready to make bread, sprinkle the top of the dough with flour; this will make it easier to grab a hunk. Grease your hands, and pull off about 1/4 to 1/3 of the dough - a 14-ounce to 19-ounce piece, if you have a scale. It'll be about the size of a softball, or a large grapefruit. Plop the sticky dough onto a floured work surface, and round it into a ball, or a longer log. Don't fuss around trying to make it perfect; just do the best you can. Place the dough on a piece of parchment (if you're going to use a baking stone); or onto a lightly greased or parchment-lined baking sheet. Sift a light coating of flour over the top; this will help keep the dough moist as it rests before baking. Let the dough rise for about 45 to 60 minutes. It won't appear to rise upwards that much; rather, it'll seem to settle and expand. Preheat your oven (and baking stone, if you're using one) to 450°F while the dough rests. Place a shallow metal or cast iron pan (not glass, Pyrex, or ceramic) on the lowest oven rack, and have 1 cup of hot water ready to go. When you're ready to bake, take a sharp knife and slash the bread 2 or 3 times, making a cut about 1/2" deep. The bread may deflate a bit; that's OK, it'll pick right up in the hot oven. Place the bread in the oven, and carefully pour the 1 cup hot water into the shallow pan on the rack beneath. It'll bubble and steam; close the oven door quickly. Bake the bread for 25 to 35 minutes, until it's a deep, golden brown. Remove the bread from the oven, and cool it on a rack. Store leftover bread in a plastic bag at room temperature. Yield: 3 or 4 loaves, depending on size.

CRUSTY WHITE BREAD

Steps:

• Pour warm water and honey into a 4 cup glass measuring cup. Stir to dissolve honey. (If you need to microwave it for about 30 seconds, that's fine, but you don't want the water to boil, or it will be too hot for the yeast.) Add in the yeast and stir slightly. Let set for appx 5-10 minutes until yeast foams up.
• Pour yeast mixture into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook. Add in the flour and salt and mix until well incorporated. You may need to add more flour as you go, depending on the heat and humidity. Mix (adding flour as needed) until the dough starts pulling away from the sides of the bowl. When you touch it, the dough should bounce back, and not stick to your fingers.
• Place dough in a large bowl sprayed with cooking spray. Flip it over to coat, and cover bowl with a towel. Let sit in a warm place until it has at least doubled in size (appx 1.5 - 2 hours). Meanwhile, prepare a baking sheet by spraying it with cooking spray and dusting it with cornmeal.
• Punch down the dough and divide it into thirds. Form each third into a ball, tucking the ends in at the bottom. Place each ball at least 4 inches apart on the prepared baking sheet. The tops should be semi-smooth. Dust the top of each loaf with a little flour, then using a sharp knife, make light slices in the dough. (I like doing an X)
• Allow to rise, uncovered, for approximately 40 minutes.
• Put a cake pan, filled with about 1.5" of water, on the rack below where you will cook your bread. Preheat oven to 450.
• Bake the loaves for 20-25 minutes until the crust is a dark golden and they sound hollow when you tap them.

CRUSTY WHITE BREAD

Steps:

• Turn the dough out onto a floured work surface and cut it in half. Using a bench scraper and floured hands, gently shape the dough into 2 rounds, folding the dough under itself as necessary. Let the loaves stand on the work surface for 20 minutes and then gently fold the sides under again. Line 2 large bowls with kitchen towels and generously dust the towels with rice flour. Transfer the loaves to the bowls, rounded sides down. Cover the loaves with clean towels and let rise for 4 to 5 hours. Alternatively, let the dough rise for 1 hour at room temperature, then refrigerate the loaves overnight. Let the dough come to room temperature before baking. Preheat the oven to 490°. Heat 2 large enameled cast-iron casseroles or cast-iron skillets with lids for 30 minutes. Remove from the oven and dust the bottoms with rice flour. Turn the loaves into the casseroles, rounded side up, and score the tops with a sharp, thin knife. Cover the casseroles and bake the bread for 15 minutes. Reduce the oven temperature to 470° and bake for 20 minutes. Uncover and bake the loaves for 25 minutes or until the bread is richly browned. Transfer the bread to a rack; let cool before slicing.