Sunday White Bread

Posted by thebreadformula on

Yesterday I got up early to go with my family to visit a family member in the hospital. She seemed in good spirits, and was excited to see us. This let me relax a little, which sounds like it would be good, but as soon as I stopped worrying I realized that I didn’t eat breakfast and it was 11:30. As we walked out of the building I spotted some passing food carts on their way to patients’ rooms and couldn’t help but think that they wouldn’t REALLY be able to notice if I just took a little nibble from their side of roasted vegetables. I would never actually do something like that, but I couldn’t stop the idea from popping into my head. I’m a terrible person.

As we got into the car, my dad started talking about how he needed bread for coffee hour after church on Sunday. I suggested Walmart. I was thinking about the lineup of rotisserie chickens that sit just before the checkout line, and totally forgot the thing where I make bread like every day. He reminded me. “YOU want to buy BREAD from WALMART? WALMART??” We didn’t go to Walmart. I didn’t get rotisserie chicken. So sad.

I did end up making what the book calls “Saturday White Bread” though. And it was really delicious, so listen up! Way better than Walmart. Can 100% confirm.

Before and after fermenting for 5 hours.

Before and after proofing for 1.5 hours.

Just out of the oven, cooling on racks.

IMG_8079

Final Product.

Saturday Overnight White (adapted from Flour Water Salt Yeast):

Makes 2 loaves.

  1. Combine 7.5 cups flour, 3 cups water, 1.25 tbsp salt, and 1.5 tsp yeast and stir until combined. Cover and let sit 20 minutes.
  2. Fold the dough for ~3 minutes or until it comes together and starts to look elasticy.
  3. Cover and let sit in a large bowl for 5 hours, folding the dough again about 2 hours in (not required, but suggested).
  4. Cut in half (approximate) and place in well oiled bread pans. Cover and let sit for 1.5 hours.
  5. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees approximately 30 minutes before baking (or later if your oven heats up quickly). Bake for 30 minutes with both loaves on the same rack.

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