Simple White Sandwich Bread

I have said this before, but I have totally given up buying store bought bread.  I have learned to make bread so easily at home and it's so much better in so many ways!  Not only does it taste better, but it's healthier and I know EXACTLY what is in the bread.   I use my bread machine to make the dough, then I shape by hand and bake in the oven.  That makes it so much easier for me! I have started adding Vital Wheat Gluten to my bread and it gives it a really nice texture.  The Vital Wheat Gluten isn't essential, but if you add it, I think you will be very happy with the results!  Vital Wheat Gluten can be found right next to the yeast in the baking aisle of your grocery store!

Here's my simple white sandwich bread recipe and it is soooooooooo good.  

Simple White Sandwich Bread 
makes 2 loaves

• 2 cups milk
• 2 tsp. salt
• 4 tsp honey (or you can use sugar but if you use sugar add it after the flour)
• 2 tbsp. butter, softened
• 5 1/2 cups bread flour
• 8 tsp. vital wheat gluten (You can leave this out if you can't find it or if you don't want to put it in, but it really makes a beautiful loaf of bread)
• 3 tsp. yeast

Add ingredients in your bread machine in the EXACT ORDER LISTED (if you use sugar instead of honey, add it after you add the flour) and set to dough cycle.  Once dough cycle is finished, preheat oven to 375 degrees and generously grease two loaf pans with either cooking spray or butter.  Turn dough out onto lightly floured surface and roll into a ball.  Cut ball in half.  With one half, form into a ball, then do a little karate chop action down the bread to form into a rectangle.  Roll up the bread pinch the seam together, pinch the ends together, and place seam side down in loaf pan.  Do the same with the

second ball.  Cover with a kitchen towel and allow to rise until doubled in size about 30 minutes.  Bake 30 minutes or until the internal temperature of the bread is between 190 and 210 degrees (I take the temp with a meat thermometer).  Yum, yum, YUMMMY, YUM, YUM!

Until next time, happy and healthy cooking!