Best Soft And Fluffy White Bread Recipes

THE SOFTEST, FLUFFIEST HOMEMADE WHITE BREAD YOU CAN MAKE

Steps:

• In your mixing bowl, add the packets of yeast and a 1/2 cup of warm water. Stir to mix. Let the yeast activate in the water for 5 minutes. Add the other 2-1/2 cups of warm water along with the 3 tablespoons of room temperature butter, plus the sugar and salt.
• Add first 4 cups of flour to the mixing bowl and stir ingredients together. You can mix by hand, but I prefer to use a stand mixer with a dough hook attachment.
• Mix on a low speed for 10 minutes while slowly adding the next 3 cups of flour. The dough ball should start to take shape and be 'tacky' to the touch, but not wet and sticky. It should 'clean' the sides of the bowl by itself, but feel free to scrape down excess dough if necessary. I find I may not even need to add the entire 7th cup of flour. But if the dough is still too wet, slowly add the last cup of flour by the tablespoon until the dough ball becomes smooth.
• Remove dough from mixer and place on a large, smooth floured surface. Do not knead the dough, just shape it into a ball and add a pinch of flour on it if it is still very sticky to the touch.
• Place the dough ball into a large bowl that has been coated in vegetable oil. Roll the dough ball around so that the oil coats it. Cover with plastic wrap.
• Place the bowl in a warm place and wait for 50 minutes to an hour as the dough doubles in size.
• Place the dough back on the floured surface and split it into two equal balls.
• Work one ball at a time to flatten and remove any excess air pockets. Once again, don't knead the dough, just push it down to flatten it.
• Shape into a rectangle about as wide as your 9 inch baking pan.
• Roll that up into a tube and tuck the ends under itself and place into a 9" x 5" inch loaf pan that has been greased with cooking spray.
• Repeat for second dough ball.
• Melt the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter and brush lightly over the two loaves.
• Place both loaves into an oven that has been pre-heated to 400 degrees.
• Bake for 30 minutes, rotating once halfway through baking.
• Remove from oven and once again lightly brush with remainder of melted butter. Let cool for 15 minutes while remaining in the pan.
• Remove from the baking pan and cool on a wire rack before slicing.

SOFT WHITE BREAD

Steps:

• Place the warm water and sugar in a large bowl and sprinkle the yeast on top. Set aside for 5 minutes to allow the yeast to proof.
• Add the butter and 2 cups of the flour, and beat on medium speed for 3 minutes.
• Stir in an additional 1 1/4 to 1 3/4 cups of flour, along with the salt, mixing until the dough gathers itself into a ball and pulls away cleanly from the sides of the bowl.
• Continue to knead, adding an additional 1/2 to 3/4 cup flour, until the dough is smooth and elastic (about 10 minutes).
• Place the dough in a large greased bowl, and cover loosely with plastic wrap. Allow it to rise in a warm place until doubled in size (30 to 45 minutes).
• Lightly mist a 5 cup loaf pan with non-stick spray.
• Punch down the dough and shape it into a loaf.
• Place the dough in the prepared pan, cover it loosely with greased plastic wrap, and allow it to rise in a warm place until doubled in size (30 to 45 minutes).
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Uncover the dough and bake for 40 to 45 minutes, or until the loaf sounds hollow when lightly tapped.

SOFT AND FLUFFY WHITE BREAD

Steps:

• Combine all ingredients (reserve about 1/2 cup of flour) and mix thoroughly in a large mixing bowl.
• Add reserved flour a tablespoon at a time to mixture until a soft, smooth dough is formed.
• You may not need the whole amount or you may need more.
• Anyway, add JUST enough flour until dough comes away from bowl and it doesn't stick to your fingers (ie the dough becomes manageable) Remember, the more flour you add while kneading, the heavier and drier your loaf will be.
• Turn dough out on lightly greased surface and knead for a while, about 10mins.
• Cover and let rise for about 1 hour, until puffy (dough might not double in bulk).
• Transfer dough to a lightly greased surface and shape it into a 8" log.
• Transfer log to a lightly greased loaf pan (8 1/2" x 4 1/2"), cover the pan with plastic proof cover (i just cover with a greased cling wrap, loosely).
• Let dough rise for about 1 hour, until outer edge has risen about 1" over the rim of the pan.
• Preheat oven to 350F.
• Uncover pan and bake for 35-40mins, tenting lightly with foil for the final 10-15mins if the top is browning too quickly.
• Remove bread from oven, take it out of the pan, and cool on wire rack.
• After 15mins, brush with butter, if desired; to give loaf an exceptionally soft crust.
• NOTE 1: I've tried substituting 2 tbsp lecithin granules for half of the butter (2 tbsp lecithin+ 2 tbsp butter)- it makes an even more tender loaf, and extends the shelf life a bit.
• NOTE 2:You may also use 1/4 cup nonfat dry milk+ 1 1/8 cup of lukewarm water to replace the milk called for in recipe.
• NOTE 3: Potato flour (1/4 cup) may be replaced with 1/3 cup potato flakes.
• Cinnamon Sticky Buns - Combine 3 TB brown sugar and 1 tsp cinnamon. Lightly beat 1 egg. Roll out the dough after the 1st rise into a rectangle about 1/3" thick. Brush egg over the dough, and sprinkle the cinnamon-sugar. If you like, you can also sprinkle 1/4 cup of dried cranberries or raisins, and 1/4 chopped toasted almonds/walnuts/pecans. Roll up dough, from the long side, into a log. Pinch the edges to seal (brush edges with egg glaze if necessary). Cut the log into 12-14 equal pieces. Place into greased muffin cups/two 8" round pans. Let rolls rise for another 45mins - 1 hr, brush egg glaze again and bake for 25mins until lightly brown. Brush with softened butter after the rolls came out from the oven, if desired.
• Ham & Cheese Buns- You will need 2 slices of ham, chopped (I use honey-glazed ham) and 2 oz. / 1/2 cup cheddar cheese, grated. Lightly beat 1 egg. Roll out the dough after the 1st rise into a rectangle about 1/3" thick. Brush egg over the dough, and sprinkle the chopped ham and cheese (reserve 2 tablespoon). Roll up dough, from the long side, into a log. Pinch the edges to seal (brush edges with egg glaze if necessary). Cut the log into 12-14 equal pieces. Place into greased muffin cups/two 8" round pans. Let rolls rise for another 45mins - 1 hr. Just before baking, brush egg glaze and sprinkle reserved cheese and bake for 25mins until lightly brown. Brush with softened butter after the rolls came out from the oven, if desired.

SOFTEST SOFT BREAD WITH AIR POCKETS USING BREAD MACHINE

Steps:

• Pour warm water into the pan of bread machine and stir honey into warm water until dissolved. Add yeast to the mixture and let stand until yeast begins to foam, about 10 minutes. Add flour, olive oil, and salt to the bread pan in the order recommended by the manufacturer.
• Select soft setting if machine has that option; otherwise select regular setting and start the machine. Let finished bread cool before slicing.