Best White Loaf Recipes

CLASSIC WHITE LOAF

Steps:

• Make the dough by tipping the flour, yeast and salt into a large bowl and making a well in the middle. Pour in most of the water and use your fingers or a wooden spoon to mix the flour and water together until combined to a slightly wet, pillowy, workable dough - add a splash more water if necessary. Tip the dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead for at least 10 mins until smooth and elastic. This can also be done in a tabletop mixer with a dough hook. Place the dough in a clean oiled bowl, cover with cling film and leave to rise until doubled in size.
• Heat oven to 220C/fan 200C/gas 7. Knock back the dough by tipping it back onto a floured surface and pushing the air out. Mould the dough into a rugby ball shape that will fit a 900g loaf tin and place in the tin. Cover with a clean tea towel and leave to prove for 30 mins. Dust the top of the loaf with a little more flour and slash the top with a sharp knife if you want. Bake the bread for 15 mins, then reduce the heat to 190C/fan 170C/gas 5 and continue to bake for 30 mins until the loaf sounds hollow when removed from the tin and tapped on the base. Leave the bread on a wire rack to cool completely. The loaf will stay fresh in an airtight container for 3 days or can be frozen for 1 month.

ONE LOAF WHITE BREAD

Steps:

• Mix the butter, sugar, and salt into the warm water.
• Stir in 1 tablespoon flour and the yeast (Can use 1 Tablespoon yeast in place of the packet).
• Wait 5 minutes; if yeast does not bubble buy new yeast.
• Put flour in a large bowl; stir in yeast mix.
• Stir thoroughly; turn onto a floured board and knead.
• Knead in as much of the flour as possible to make a satiny dough; if dough is sticky add more flour a tablespoon at a time.
• Put dough in a greased bowl and turn to coat.
• Cover with a clean damp towel and let rise til double.
• Punch down; shape into loaf and put in greased loaf pan.
• Let rise.
• Bake at 375 for 50 minutes or until bottom sounds hollow when thumped.
• Can also be shaped into 12 dinner rolls or 8 hamburger buns.
• Bake for less time if using these shapes.

BASIC SOFT WHITE SANDWICH LOAF

Steps:

• 1. Make the sponge. In a mixer bowl or other large bowl, combine the flour, water, honey, and instant yeast. Whisk until very smooth, to incorporate air, about 2 minutes. The sponge will be the consistency of a thick batter, Scrape down the sides of the bowl, and cover with plastic wrap.
• 2. Make the flour mixture and add to the sponge. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour (reserve 1/4 cup if mixing by hand), dry milk, and instant yeast. Sprinkle this on top of the sponge and cover tightly with plastic wrap. Allow it to ferment for 1 to 4 hours at room temperature. (During this time, the sponge will bubble through the flour blanket in places: this is fine.)
• 3. Mix the dough.
• Mixer Method Add the butter to the bowl and mix with the dough hook on low speed (#2 if using a KitchenAid) for 1 minute or until the flour is moistened enough to form a rough dough. Scrape down any bits of dough. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and allow the dough to rest for 20 minutes.
• Sprinkle on the salt and knead the dough on medium speed (#4 KitchenAid) for 7 to 10 minutes. It will not come away from the bowl until the last minute or so of kneading; it will be smooth and shiny and stick to your fingers. With an oiled spatula, scrape down any dough clinging to the sides of the bowl. If the dough is not stiff, knead in a little flour. If it is not at all sticky, spray it with a little water and knead it in. (The dough will weigh about 44.25 ounces/1258 grams.)
• Hand Method Add the salt and butter to the bowl and, with a wooden spoon or your hand, stir until all the flour is moistened. Knead the dough in the bowl until it comes together, then scrape it onto a lightly floured counter. Knead the dough for 5 minutes, enough to develop the gluten structure a little, adding as little of the reserved flour as possible to keep the dough from sticking. Use a bench scraper to scrape the dough and gather it together as you knead it. At this point, it will be very sticky. Cover it with the inverted bowl and allow it to rest for 20 minutes. (This resting time will make the dough less sticky and easier to work with.)
• Knead the dough for another 5 minutes or until it is very smooth and elastic. It should still be tacky (sticky) enough to cling slightly to your fingers a little. If the dough is still very sticky, however, add some of the remaining reserved flour, or a little extra. (The dough will weigh about 44.25 ounces/1258 grams.)
• Both Methods 4. Let the dough rise. Using an oiled spatula or dough scraper, scrape the dough into a 4-quart dough-rising container or bowl, lightly oiled with cooking spray or oil. Push down the dough and lightly spray or oil the surface. Cover the container with a lid or plastic wrap. With a piece of tape, mark the side of the container at approximately where double the height of the dough would be. Allow the dough to rise (ideally at 75°to 80°F) until doubled, 1 1/2 to 2 hours.
• Using an oiled spatula or dough scraper, scrape the dough onto a floured counter and press down on it gently to form a rectangle. It will be full of air and resilient. Try to maintain as many of the air bubbles as possible. Pull out and fold the dough over from all four sides into a tight package, or give it 2 business letter turns and set it back in the container. Again oil the surface, cover, and mark where double the height would now be. (It will fill the container fuller than before because it is puffier with air.) Allow the dough to rise for 1 to 2 hours or until it reaches the mark.
• 5. Shape the dough and let it rise. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured counter and cut it in half. Shape each piece into a loaf: begin by gently pressing the dough (or lightly rolling it with a rolling pin) into a wide rectangle; the exact size is not important at this point. (A long side of the dough should be facing toward you.) Dimple the dough with your fingertips to deflate any large bubbles. Fold over the right side of the dough to a little past the center. Fold over the left side of the dough to overlap it slightly. Press the center overlap section with the side of your hand to seal the dough. (If you have a lot of experience shaping, you may prefer at this point to rotate the dough 90 degrees-a quarter turn.) Starting at the top edge of the dough, roll it over three or four times, until it reaches the bottom edge of the dough: with each roll, press with your thumbs to seal it and at the same time push it away from you slightly to tighten the outer skin. As you roll and press, the dough will become wider. If it is not as long as the pan, place both hands close together on top of the dough and, rolling back and forth, gradually work your way toward the ends, gently stretching the dough. For the most even shape, it is important to keep a tight skin on the surface of the dough and not to tear it. If you want the edges of the loaf to be smooth, tuck the sides under.
• Place the loaves in the prepared loaf pans; the dough will be about 1/2 inch from the top of the pans. Cover them with a large container, or cover them loosely with oiled plastic wrap, and allow to rise until the center is about 1 inch above the sides of the pan, 1 1/2 to 2 hours. When the dough is pressed with a fingertip, the depression will very slowly fill in.
• 6. Preheat the oven. Preheat the oven to 350°F 45 minutes before baking. Have an oven shelf at the lowest level and place a baking stone or baking sheet on it, and a cast-iron skillet or sheet pan on the floor of the oven, before preheating.
• 7. Bake the bread. Quickly but gently set the pans on the hot baking stone or hot baking sheet. Toss 1/2 cup of ice cubes into the pan beneath and immediately shut the door. Bake for 50 minutes or until medium golden brown and a skewer inserted in the middle comes out clean (an instant-read thermometer inserted into the center will read about 210°F). Halfway through baking, turn the pans around for even baking.
• 8. Glaze and cool the bread. Remove the bread from the oven and set it on a wire rack. Brush the top of the bread with the optional melted butter. Unmold and cool top side up on a wire rack until barely warm, about 1 hour.
• ULTIMATE FULL FLAVOR VARIATION
• For the best flavor development, in Step 2, allow the sponge to ferment for 1 hour at room temperature and then refrigerate it for 8 to 24 hours. If using the hand mixing method, remove it from the refrigerator about 1 hour before mixing the dough.
• POINTERS FOR SUCCESS
• • If not using the dry milk, you can replace 1 cup of the water with 1 cup milk, preferably nonfat, scalded (brought to the boiling point) and cooled to lukewarm.
• UNDERSTANDING
• A greater amount of sponge dough starter (pre-ferment) offers a fuller flavor in this "plain" bread, so almost 50 percent of total amount of flour is used in the sponge, compared to the usual 30 percent of hearth breads.
• If using liquid milk, it is scalded to deactivate the enzyme in it that could make the dough sticky.
• Baking the bread at too high a temperature, would result in too thin a crust, which would cause keyholing, or caving in at the sides of the loaf. Therefore, this bread is baked at 350°F. It is also important for the bread to be thoroughly baked so that the crust is firm enough to prevent it from compressing. The loaves should not be cut until completely cool for the same reason.
• THE DOUGH PERCENTAGE
• Flour: 100% Water: 66.3% (includes the water in the butter and honey) Yeast: 0.74% Salt: 2.3% Butterfat: 15.9%

WHITE BREAD 1 1/2 LB BREAD MACHINE LOAF

Steps:

• Place ingredients in bread machine in the order listed.
• Run it on standard loaf setting.
• Butter crust right out of machine.

BASIC WHITE BREAD 1 1/2 LB LOAF

Steps:

• 1. Place the water into the bread machine pan.
• 2. Add sugar and oil to water and stir to dissolve sugar. Add yeast to the water and stir to dissolve.
• 3. Allow the yeast to foam for 10 minutes.
• 4. Mix together flour and salt and add to bread machine pan.
• 5. Select the dough cycle and press start and allow to complete full cycle including first rise.
• 6. Always check your dough mid way through the kneading cycle and adjust with either water or flour for proper consistency. The dough will sometimes have to be adjusted due to humidity, temperature, and variations in flour.
• 7. Spray an 8 ½" x 4 ½" bread pan with cooking spray.
• When dough cycle is complete transfer dough to lightly floured surface and gently deflate.
• Knead 6 or 8 times, turning 90 degrees each time.
• Shape the dough into an 8" log.
• Place the log in a lightly greased 8 1/2" x 4 1/2" loaf pan, cover the pan loosely with parchment paper or lightly greased plastic wrap, and allow the bread to rise for 45 to 60 minutes or until ripe. Dough is ready to bake when your index finger pressed into the dough up to first joint leaves a mark that rebounds slowly. It will rise pretty high using a 4 1/2" x 8 1/2" pan. Towards the end of the rise, preheat your oven to 350°F.
• Brush with half the melted butter. Bake the bread for 30 to 35 minutes, until it's light golden brown. Test it for doneness by removing it from the pan and thumping it on the bottom (it should sound hollow), or by measuring its interior temperature with a digital thermometer (it should register 190°F at the center of the loaf).
• Remove the bread from the oven. Brush with remaining melted butter. Remove from pan and cool it on a rack before slicing. Store the bread in a plastic bag at room temperature for several days; freeze for longer storage.

WHITE PULLMAN LOAF (PAIN DE MIE)

Steps:

• Starter: Also called pre-ferment, pâte fermentée (a mature pre-ferment, as in this starter), or poolish (which contains commercial yeast, as in this starter), this is the leavening or rising component of the bread baking process. Turn on a digital scale and weigh your empty container. Deduct the weight of the container by pressing the "tare" function, which resets the scale to zero. Add milk to the container, and tare to zero again. Then, continuing to weigh the ingredients, add salt, pinch of yeast, sugar, and flour. Use a chopstick to stir the starter until the dry and wet ingredients are just mixed. Cover with plastic wrap and let rest at room temperature, away from direct sunlight, 6-8 hours.
• Dough: Stir flour, sugar, yeast, and salt in a medium bowl, and set aside. Pour milk into the pre-ferment to loosen it. Whisk 2 eggs in a large bowl; then stir in the pre-ferment/milk mixture. Use a rubber spatula to break up the pre-ferment into the liquid. Add the flour mixture and the butter, and continue mixing until most of the dry ingredients have been combined with the starter mixture. Using a wooden spoon, and starting in the middle of the bowl, slowly stir to the edges until most of the flour has been mixed in and hydrated.
• Roll and Tuck: A technique to develop gluten in the dough so it becomes firmer and easier to work with. This is done one time, followed by a resting period. Combine 1 part fine semolina with 5 parts unbleached white flour to make dusting flour, and lightly dust a clean work surface. Using a plastic bowl scraper, push the dough and residual flour out of the bowl onto the work surface. Use the scraper to stretch and gently shape the dough into a rough rectangle (dough will still be sticky). Then, starting at one end, roll and tuck the dough like a tube, about 3-4 times. Flip the dough so it's seam-side up and flatten again to a rectangle in the opposite direction, so the seam stretches from left to right. Repeat rolling and tucking, always returning to a seam-up position. Continue until the dough feels stronger and begins to resist any further rolling, about 10 times. All of the flour will get absorbed into the dough during this process. Shape into a ball and place into a bowl coated with nonstick spray. Cover with plastic wrap and let rest at room temperature, 45 minutes.
• Stretch and Fold: This technique strengthens the dough by folding it over onto itself. This process is repeated 3 times, with a resting period after each stretch and fold. Lightly dust the work surface and your hands with dusting flour. Using the scraper, release the dough from the bowl and place it seam-side down on the work surface. Gently shape into a rectangle, then fold the dough into thirds, like a letter. Pat it down slightly, then repeat the same fold in the other direction. Place the dough back in the bowl, cover with plastic wrap and let rest at room temperature, 45 minutes. For the second stretch and fold, repeat the steps for the first stretch and fold, but this time stretch the dough by flipping back and forth (like pizza dough). Gently reshape it into a rough rectangular shape before folding. Cover with plastic wrap and rest at room temperature, 45 minutes. For the third and final stretch and fold, repeat the steps for the second stretch and fold, cover with plastic wrap and rest at room temperature, 45 minutes.
• Shaping/Fermentation (Proofing): Shape the dough to prepare it for baking, then ferment (proof) it for a period of time to expand the dough and develop flavor. Spray the bottom and sides of a pullman loaf pan with nonstick spray. Lightly dust the work surface and your hands with dusting flour. Press the dough down slightly to de-gas it, then stretch into a 16-inch square (or to whatever length of the pan you're using). Roll the square into a tube. Place the tube seam side down into the prepared pan. Gently tap the dough down with your fist to even it out in the pan, then cover with plastic wrap. Let rest at room temperature until the dough rises about 1½ -inches above the surface of the pan, 1½-3 hours.
• Baking: Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (preferably convection). Test dough for baking by gently pressing; it should bounce back, leaving a slight dimple. Make an egg wash by whisking the remaining egg with a pinch of salt; add about 1 tablespoon of milk to thin it out. Spray the outer edges of the pan with nonstick spray and use a pastry brush to gently brush egg wash across the top of the dough, twice. (The spray will ensure the egg wash doesn't seep into the corners of the pan.) Place in the oven and bake for 10 minutes. Lower temperature to 385 degrees F. Rotate the pan and bake an additional 12-15 minutes. Test for doneness by removing from oven and giving it a thump on top; it should sound hollow. Tap the pan on the counter to release the loaf; turn it over and carefully remove the bread from the pan. Return the loaf to the oven on its side, and bake directly on the rack to solidify the shape, 5 minutes.
• Cooling, Slicing, and Storing: Transfer bread to a cooling rack (and notice the caramel aroma!). Cool completely before slicing and eating, at least 2 hours. Store loosely in plastic for 7 days.

WHITE BREAD SANDWICH LOAF

Steps:

• In a small saucepan, combine the milk, butter, and the sugar. Place over medium-high heat and cook, stirring, until the butter has melted. Remove from the heat and cool to about 110 degrees F. Sprinkle the yeast over the surface of the milk. Set aside until foamy, about 10 minutes.
• Meanwhile, in large bowl, whisk together the flour and salt and set aside.
• Pour the milk and yeast mixture into the bowl of flour and mix until a soft, ragged mixture is formed. Transfer the flour mixture to a well-floured work surface and knead until a soft elastic dough is formed, about 10 minutes.
• Transfer the dough to a lightly oiled bowl, cover with a kitchen towel, and place in a warm spot in the kitchen, until puffed and doubled in size, about 2 hours.
• Transfer the dough to the work surface and, using your hands, gently flatten into a 10-inch-long oval shape. Fold the dough into thirds lengthwise, overlapping the sides in the center. Press down on the overlapping side to seal and make a seam. Place seam side-down in a buttered 9x5 loaf pan, cover with a kitchen towel, and return to the warm spot until the dough has just risen about 1 1/2 inches over the top of the pan, about 2 to 2 1/2 hours.
• Place a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 400 degrees F. Brush the top of the dough lightly with warm water and, using a sharp knife, make 1/4-inch-deep slit down the center. Bake until golden brown, about 30 minutes.
• Remove the loaf from the pan and place in the center of the rack. Continue baking until the loaf sounds hollow when rapt lightly with your knuckles, on the bottom and top, or an instant read thermometer inserted in the center registers about 190 degrees F., about 15 minutes.
• Transfer the bread loaf to a cooling rack and cool completely before slicing.

EASY WHITE SANDWICH LOAF

Steps:

• For sandwich loaf tin: 807g strong white flour 11g instant yeast 16g salt 565ml water
• You will need: 2 x large mixing bowls, Digital weighing scales, Cling film, Spatula or wooden spoon, Sunflower oil for greasing tin, Olive oil for greasing mixing bowls, Rolling pin, Jug to measure water, Dough scraper, Dough lame, Loaf tin, Tin for putting water into to create steam, And plastic spray bottle (optional)
• A very important point regarding loaf tins, a lot of tins say they are 2lb, but actually aren't and this can lead to the dough collapsing because it isn't properly supported or the dough's oven spring going over the sides because the tin is too low. The best way to work out the size of your tin is to put it empty on weighing scales, fill it with water to the top and work out how many ml there are for example 1300ml is 1300g. You want a dough that is 60% volume of the tin for white flour or 70% for wholegrain of the tins volume for a loaf that will fill the tin well. So based on the 1300ml we would need a white dough that is 780 (to work this out I divided 1300 by 100 x 60 to work out 60 percent which gave me 780, this is weight of the dough before baking). The best tin in my opinion is an 800g sandwich loaf tin (23cm long, 12cm wide and 12cm tall) which needs more than 800g of dough, so don't be confused by tin size labels. To adjust recipes to suit tin volumes, here is a website with a dough converter: http://bakerybits.co.uk/dough-calculator-bakerybits
• Measure out the flour, and put yeast and salt on opposite sides of the bowl. A good way to measure water is on the weighing scales using a jug as 1ml of water weights the same as 1g so 350ml is 350g. Make a well in the middle add the water a bit at a time, using a spatula or a spoon continuing mixing until all water has been added. You will notice that it becomes difficult to mix the dough with just the spatula, so use your hands instead to fold the dough over on itself inside the bowl until it feels firm and comes together.
• Lightly flour the work surface and knead the dough for 10 minutes, use a bit more flour if you need to, a dough scraper is very useful at this stage. Divide the dough into two and oil 2 mixing bowls with olive oil, put each ball into 2 separate glass bowls, the bowls should be big enough to allow the dough to at least double in size. Move the balls around so they are covered in the oil. Cover with Clingfilm and leave for a 1 hour and 30 minutes.
• Just before 1 hour and 30 minutes is up, turn on the oven to 220 conventional, 200 fan and Gas mark 7, make sure the shelves are arranged so a tin can fit in and the dough has enough room to rise 2-3 inches above the top of the tin, also you need to be able to have a empty tin (I use a 20cm or 8 inch sandwich cake tin) which will be later filled with boiling water to create steam. I have two shelves, one right at the bottom for the empty tin and one on the next level where the loaf tin will go. To test if your dough has risen, use to wet fingers to gently press about 1 inch into and poke two holes into the dough, if the holes stay then the dough has risen enough as it doesn't have any more energy to fill the holes, if it fills in then it needs more time, so keep checking and testing every 5 minutes. If the holes collapse then it has over risen, no need to panic as we just take time off the proofing time. For example if it has over risen by 10 minutes, we reduce time that the dough proofs in tin by 10 minutes and put it into the oven.
• Next, lightly flour the work surface, make sure you have lightly oiled the tin with sunflower oil (not olive or vegetable as they vaporize) and you have a rolling pin. Punch both dough's down removing the air, join both together and knead for 30-60 seconds. Then fold the edges of the dough into the centre, moving the dough round as you do, you should end up with a tight ball; this creates tension on the surface of the loaf and helps give the loaf structure. Place the ball on the work surface and using both hands slightly underneath, continue until all the dough is rolled up and sealed. Using a rolling pin, roll the dough out to a large rectangle, the width should be no wider than the tin. When you have done this, start with one end and fold over the dough about a good inch or two from the bottom, using the heel of your hand press firmly on the seal, roll the roll of dough forward and seal again, remember to press firmly as you do. Keep going until all the dough has been rolled and sealed, put the dough into the tin with the seal at the bottom and gently flatten the dough roll in the tin. This video will help: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wx5I5O_RoeI
• Cover the tin with a tea towel and leave to rise for 30-35 minutes, less if it has over risen. Fill the empty tin that is in the oven with hot/warm water. You can also use the spray bottle to create more steam. To check if the dough has proven enough using your small finger gently poke the dough in the corner, if it fills back then it needs another 5 minutes and then check again in another corner, if it doesn't fill back in then it is ready for the oven. Use a dough lame to score the bread before going into the oven. This controls the oven spring and stood the crust from tearing open. You can cut straight down the middle or a few diagonal cuts across the width of the dough.
• The oven should be at the right temperature, steamy and ready for the tin. You can sprinkle water on top and dust with flour and gently rub to give a stone baked affect, you can also spray (using a plastic spray bottle) the top of the dough as this will keep the crust softer for longer and allow for more oven spring. You can also spray the oven before and after the loaf goes into the oven but once the oven door is closed do not open the door for the first 5-10 minutes as this is when the oven spring happens and the crust forms. I would also recommend that you slash the top of the dough with a very sharp serrated knife or dough lame, you can do a long vertical slash all the way down the middle of the loaf, but my personal favorite is 3-4 equally spaced diagonal cuts, make sure that they are quite deep.
• Bake at 220 conventional, 200 fan and Gas mark 7 for 20 minutes, remembering to turn the loaf every 10 minutes for an even bake. Turn down to 200 conventional, 180 fan and gas mark 5-6, for 35 minutes, then remove from the loaf from the tin and put back on the shelf for 5 minutes, the loaf if ready when removed from the tin it sounds hollow like a drum. For extra crispiness, you can remove the loaf from the tin and place back in the oven for a further 5 minutes. Let the loaf cool down on a wire rack.

LULU'S SIMPLE WHITE LOAF

Steps:

• Mix the flour, yeast and salt. Add the olive oil and gradually stir in the tepid water, adding only enough to make a soft dough. Knead with a dough hook in a tabletop mixer for about 7 mins, or using your hands on a lightly floured surface for about 10 mins, until the dough feels bouncy and looks silky rather than dimpled. Put in an oiled bowl, cover and leave to rise until doubled in size.
• Oil a 2lb loaf tin. Knock back the dough by kneading the air out of it, then gently mould the dough into a thick sausage. Drop into the tin, cover and prove for 1 hr more until doubled in size.
• Heat oven to 220C/200C fan/gas 7. Dust the loaf with flour and cut a slash in the top with a sharp knife. Bake for 30-35 mins until golden brown and the loaf sounds hollow when tapped underneath. Cool on a wire rack.

BASIC SOFT WHITE SANDWICH LOAF BREAD

Steps:

• Make the sponge. In a mixer bowl or other large bowl, combine the flour, water, honey, and instant yeast. Whisk until very smooth, to incorporate air, about 2 minutes. The sponge will be the consistency of a thick batter, scrape down the sides of the bowl, and cover with plastic wrap.
• Make the flour mixture and add to the sponge. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour (reserve 1/4 cup if mixing by hand), dry milk, and instant yeast. Sprinkle this on top of the sponge and cover tightly with plastic wrap. Allow it to ferment for 1 to 4 hours at room temperature. (During this time, the sponge will bubble through the flour blanket in places: this is fine).
• Mix the dough.
• HAND METHOD.
• Add the salt and butter to the bowl and, with a wooden spoon or with your hand, stir until all the flour is moistened. Knead the dough in the bowl until it comes together, then scrape it onto a lightly floured counter. Knead the dough for 5 minutes, enough to develop the gluten structure a little, adding as little of the reserved flour as possible to keep the dough from sticking. Use a bench scraper to scrape the dough and gather it together as you knead it. At this point, it will be very sticky. Cover it with an inverted bowl and allow it to rest for 20 minutes. (This resting time will make the dough less sticky and easier to work with).
• Knead the dough for another 5 minutes or until it is very smooth and elastic. It should still be tacky enough to cling slightly to your fingers a little. If the dough is still very sticky, however, add some of the remaining reserved flour, or a little extra.
• Shape the dough and let it rise. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured counter and cut it in half. Shape each piece into a loaf; the exact size is not important at this point. (A long side of the dough should be facing toward you). Dimple the dough with your fingers to deflate any large bubbles. Fold over the right side of the dough to a little past the center. Fold over hte left side of the dough to overlap it slightly. Press the center overlap section with the side of your hand to seal the dough. (If you have a lot of experiance shaping, you may prefer at this point to rotate the dough 90 degrees- a quarter turn). Starting at the top end of the dough, roll it over three or four times, until it reaches the bottom edge of the dough: with each roll, press with your thumbs to seal it and at the same time push it away from you slightly to tighten the outer skin. As you roll and press, the dough will become wider. If it is not as long as the pan, place both hands close together on top of the dough and, rolling back and fourth, gradually work your way towards the ends, gently stretching the dough. For the most even shape, it is important to keep a tight skin on the surface of the dough and not to tear it. If you want the edges of the loaf to be smooth, tuck the sides under. Place the loaves in the prepared loaf pans; the dough will be about 1/2 inch from the top of the pans. Cover them with a large container, or cover them loosely with oiled plastic wrap, and allow to rise until the center is about 1 inch above the sides of the pan, 1 1/2 to 2 hours. When the dough is pressed with a fingertip, the depression will very slowly fill inches.
• Preheat the oven. Preheat the oven to 350°F 45 minutes before baking. Have an oven shelf at the lowest level and place a baking stone or a baking sheet on it, and a cast-iron skillet or sheet pan on the floor of the oven, before preheating.
• Bake the bread. Quickly but gently set the pans on the hot baking stone or hot baking sheet. Toss 1/2 cup of ice cubes into the pan beneath and immediately shut the door. Bake for 50 minutes or until medium golden brown and a skewer inserted in the middle comes out clean (an instant-read thermometer inserted into the center will read about 210°F). Halfway through baking, turn the pans around for even baking.
• Remove from oven and let cool on a wire rack.

WHITE CHOCOLATE & CHERRY LOAF

Steps:

• Heat oven to 180C/fan 160C/gas 4. Line a 1kg loaf tin with baking parchment, making sure the paper comes up higher than the sides. Beat the butter and sugar together until fluffy, then add the eggs, a little at a time, along with the vanilla. Fold in the flour until you have a smooth mixture.
• Dust the cherries in a little flour, then carefully stir half of the fruit and chocolate into the mixture. Spoon into the prepared tin, then scatter the remaining cherries and chocolate on top, pressing them in lightly. Bake for 1 hr 10 mins - 1 hr 15 mins until a skewer inserted into the middle comes out clean. Make sure you don't mistake melted chocolate for raw cake mix. Leave to cool in the tin for a few mins, then turn out on to a wire rack and leave to cool completely. This can now be wrapped tightly in cling film and stored in the fridge for up to 3 days.
• Remove the marscapone from the fridge to come to room temperature. Melt the white chocolate in a bowl over a pan of hot water. Quickly stir in 1 tbsp of the marscapone, then beat in the rest (be careful not to overbeat the mixture or it will go grainy). Spread over the top of the loaf and finish with white chocolate curls or fresh cherries.

TURKEY MEAT LOAF BURGERS WITH CRANBERRY SAUCE & WHITE CHEDDAR

Steps:

• Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Melt the butter and add the chopped onions, celery, and apple, then season with salt and pepper and cook for 3 to 4 minutes under a loose foil tent. Stir in the bread crumbs and transfer to a bowl to cool a bit. Add the meat, poultry seasoning, salt, pepper, parsley, mustard, and the egg and mix. Form 4 burgers. Wipe out the skillet and heat a liberal drizzle of EVOO in it over medium-high heat. Cook the patties for 11 to 12 minutes until cooked through. Melt the cheddar over the tops of the burgers during the last minute or two of cooking.
• While the burgers cook, toast the split English muffins under the broiler or in the toaster.
• Mix together in a small bowl the cranberry sauce, sour cream, and chives.
• Serve the burgers on English muffins with red onion, lettuce, and the cranberry sauce.

WHITE LOAF

Steps:

• Mix the flour, yeast and salt in a large mixing bowl. Put in the butter and rub it into the flour. Make a dip in the centre of the flour and pour in almost 300ml hand warm (cool rather than hot) water, with a round-bladed knife. Then mix in enough of the remaining water and a bit more if needed, to gather up any dry bits in the bottom of the bowl, until the mixture comes together as a soft, not too sticky, dough. Gather it into a ball with your hands.
• Put the dough onto a very lightly floured surface and knead for 8-10 mins until it feels smooth and elastic, only adding the minimum of extra flour if necessary to prevent the dough sticking. Place the ball of dough on a lightly floured work surface. Cover with an upturned, clean, large glass bowl and leave for 45 mins-1 hr or until doubled in size and feels light and springy. Timing will depend on the warmth of the room.
• Knock back the dough by gently kneading just 3-4 times. You only want to knock out any large air bubbles, so too much handling now will lose the dough's lightness. Cut off two-thirds and one-third with a sharp knife and shape both into round balls. Cover with the glass bowl and leave for 10 mins.
• Now shape to make a cottage loaf. Gently re-shape the balls of dough if necessary. Sit the larger ball on a baking parchment-lined baking sheet. Sit smaller ball in the centre of the larger one and press down through the centre of the smaller one right into larger one with your finger (dipped in flour so it doesn't stick), to attach it. Dust the top with a little flour. Cover with a clean dry tea towel and leave for 40-45 mins, or until about doubled in size.
• Put a roasting tin in the bottom of the oven 20 mins before ready to bake and heat oven to 230C/210C fan/gas 8. Put the risen bread in the oven, carefully pour about 250ml cold water into the roasting tin (this will hiss and create a burst of steam to give you a crisp crust), then lower the heat to 220C/200C fan/gas 7. Bake for 30-35 mins or until golden. Remove and cool on a wire rack. If you tap the underneath of the loaf if should be firm and sound hollow.

WHITE SANDWICH LOAF WITH POOLISH

Steps:

• Make the poolish, cover and leave at room temperature for about 8 hours.
• Add the other ingredients and mix well.
• Knead by hand or dough hook and stand mixer for about 5 minutes on low speed, rest 5 minutes, and knead for 5 more minutes or until it passes the windowpane test (small piece can be stretched without breaking until light shows through).
• Oil a clear container with straight sides (or bowl), place dough and mark level, and let rise until doubled in volume (about an hour depending on temperature).
• Pre-shape into a ball and let rest for 5 minutes.
• Preheat oven to 400 F with a pan on the bottom for steaming.
• Fold the ball gently, tuck in the ends and seal the edge. Roll back and forth briefly until edge is sealed and a log (slightly larger in the center) is formed.
• Place in an oiled loaf pan (9"x 5"), cover with oiled plastic film and let rise until almost doubled in volume (45 min to 1 hour).
• Add 1 cup hot water to steam pan (don't drip on the door glass).
• Score the loaf and place in the center of the oven.
• Reduce oven setting to 375°F.
• After 12 minutes, remove steam pan and rotate the loaf 180 degrees for even cooking.
• Cook for 20 to 30 more minutes until the loaf is 205 F internally.
• Remove from the loaf pan and cool on a rack.
• note: the dough can be placed in the fridge at 40F, covered, to rise overnight. If you do that, remove 2 hours ahead of time to warm up.

GERMAN KASTENWEISSBROT (WHITE LOAF BREAD)

Steps:

• Measure out the milk and add yeast and sugar; set aside for about 10 minutes or until frothy (if it doesn't get frothy, start over- your yeast is dead or your milk was too hot and killed the yeast).
• Mix together the yeast mixture with salt, eggs and egg yolk, creme fraiche.
• Combine the flour and the wet mixture until a dough forms (you may need a little extra flour depending upon the humidity that day).
• Knead on a floured board, adding extra flour if needed to keep from being too sticky, until a smooth ball forms.
• Place in a greased bowl, flip over once, and cover with either a damp clean towel or plastic wrap that has first been srayed with nonstick spray.
• Let rise until doubled in bulk- approx 1 or 1 1/2 hours.
• Punch down and knead again on a floured surface.
• Grease a 30cm long loaf pan well and sprinkle with dry breadcrumbs.
• Set dough into the pan and even out the top.
• Cover as before and let rise another hour.
• Heat oven to 175 C.
• Remove cover and using a sharp knife, make slashes in the dough every 1 cm.
• Spritz with a bit of water (this will make the crust crisp up).
• Bake on the second rack of your oven for about 40 minutes.

BLACK-AND-WHITE BANANA LOAF

Steps:

• Heat oven to 325 degrees. Butter an 8x4x2 1/2 inch loaf pan; dust with flour; tap out excess.
• Whisk flour, baking powder, salt and nutmeg in a small bowl until blended.
• In another small bowl, mash bananas with lemon zest and juice; stir in rum.
• Microwave chocolate and 2 T butter, stirring every 10 seconds, until melted and blended.
• Beat remaining butter with mixer on medium speed 3 minutes or until creamy. Add sugars; beat 2-3 minutes until light and smooth.
• Add eggs, 1 at a time. Beat in vanilla (batter will look curdled).
• Reduce mixer speed to low and beat in 1/2 the flour mixture just until blended. Beat in milk until combined, then remaining flour mixture. Scrape down bowl; beat in banana mixture (batter will look lumpy).
• Stir a little less than 1/2 the batter into melted chocolate to blend. Drop alternating spoonfuls of both batters into prepared pan. Using a table knife, swirl batters together, taking care not to overdo it.
• Bake 1 hour and 20 to 30 minutes (check cake after 45 minutes and cover loosely with foil if it's getting too brown), until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out with moist crumbs attached.
• Cool in pan on a wire rack 15 minutes before inverting on rack, turning right side up and cooling completely.

WHITE CHOCOLATE-ICED BLUEBERRY LOAF

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350°F. Grease bottom only of 9x5-inch loaf pan. In large bowl, mix flour, sugar, baking powder, salt and allspice with spoon. Beat in buttermilk, butter and eggs until blended. Stir in blueberries and pecans. Spread batter in pan.
• Bake 1 hour 15 minutes to 1 hour 20 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pan on wire rack 10 minutes.
• Run knife around edges of pan to loosen loaf. Remove loaf from pan; place on wire rack. Cool completely, about 1 hour 30 minutes.
• In small microwavable bowl, microwave vanilla baking chips on High 30 seconds. Stir until melted; if necessary, microwave in additional 10-second increments until melted. Beat in powdered sugar and enough milk until smooth and desired drizzling consistency. Drizzle icing over loaf. Let stand until icing is set before storing.

BLACK-AND-WHITE BANANA LOAF

Steps:

• 325 oven. Butter/flour loaf pan, place on insulated baking sheet. Whisk together flour, powder, salt and nutmeg. In bowl, mash bananas with lemon juice and zest, stir in rum. Melt chocolate and 2 tbsp butter together in bowl set over water. Stand mixer/paddle beat remaining 8 tbsp butter at med til creamy, about 3 ins. Add sugars and beat 2-3 mins, til light and smooth. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each, then beat in vanilla. Reduce mixer to low and add half flour mix, mixing only til just incorporated. With mixer running, pour in milk, and when blended add remaining dry ingreds. Scrape bowl and mix in bananas. Pour a bit less than half batter into bowl w/melted choc and stir to blend. Drop alternating spoons of both batters into pan, then swirl batters together w/knife. Bake 1 hour and 20-30 mins, or til knife inserted in middle comes out clean. If after 30 mins cake starts to brown too much, cover loosely with foil tent. Transfer to cooling rack, rest 15 mins before unmolding then cool to room temp right side up. Store wrapped in plastic 4-5 days at room temp or 2 months in freezer.

WHITE CHOCOLATE-ICED BLUEBERRY LOAF

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
• Grease bottom only of 9X5-inch loaf pan.
• In large bowl, mix flour, sugar, baking powder, salt and allspice with spoon. Beat in buttermilk, butter and eggs until blended. Stir in blueberries and pecans. Spread batter in pan.
• Bake 1 hour 15 minutes to 1 hour 20 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.
• Cool in pan on wire rack 10 minutes.
• Run knife round edges of pan to loosen loaf.
• Remove loaf from pan; place on wire rack.
• Cool completely, about 1 ½ hours.
• In small microwavable bowl, microwave white chocolate chips on high 30 seconds. Stir until melted; if necessary microwave in additional 10 second increments until melted.
• Beat in powdered sugar and enough milk until smooth and desired drizzling consistency.
• Drizzle icing over loaf. Let stand until icing is set before storing.

WHITE CHOCOLATE STRAWBERRY LOAF

Steps:

• Sprinkle the sliced berries with the 2 tablespoons of sugar and put them in the refrigerator in a covered bowl for several hours or overnight to make them release their juice.
• Preheat the oven to 350°F.
• Mix the flour, 3/4 cup sugar, baking soda, and salt and 1 ounce of the chopped white chocolate in a large mixing bowl.
• In a medium mixing bowl, combine the oil, vanilla, strawberry extract (if using) eggs, strawberry slices and the juice.
• Pour the strawberry mixture into the flour mixture, and mix just until blended.
• Pour the batter into a greased loaf pan (8 inches x 5 inches) and bake for approximately 40 minutes.
• FINISH: When the loaf has cooled melt the remaining 1/2 ounce of white chocolate in a small plastic bag in the microwave (should take 15-20 secs). Cut a small hole in the corner on the bag and squeeze the chocolate onto the loaf in any pattern you like.