Ingredients

  • 1 cup (240ml) water, warmed to about 110°F (43°C)
  • .25 cup (60ml) whole milk, warmed to about 110°F (43°C)
  • 2.25 teaspoons (7g) / 1 standard packet) instant yeast
  • 2 Tablespoons (25g) granulated sugar
  • 4 Tablespoons (.25 cup; 56g) unsalted, softened (room temp) butter
  • 1.5 teaspoons salt
  • 3.33 (about 420–430g) bread (or AP) flour

Instructions

Create Dough

  1. In mixer bowl, whisk warm water, warm milk, yeast, and sugar together. Cover and sit for 5 minutes, until starting to foam.
  2. Add butter, salt, and 1 cup flour. Beat on low speed for 30 seconds, scrape down the sides of the bowl, then add another cup of flour. Beat on medium speed until relatively incorporated (there may still be chunks of butter).
  3. Add the remaining flour and beat on medium speed until the dough comes together and pulls away from the sides of the bowl, about 2 minutes.
  4. Keep the dough in the mixer and beat on medium for an additional 3 minutes or knead by hand on a lightly floured surface for 3 minutes.

First Rise

  1. Lightly oil a bowl (or coat with nonstick spray). Place the dough in the bowl, turning it to coat all sides in the oil. Cover with plastic wrap (or foil, shower cap, etc.) Rise for 1-2 hours until double in size.

Proof

  1. Grease (or coat with Baker’s Joy) a 9×5-inch loaf pan.
  2. Punch dough down to release the air. Lightly flour a work surface, your hands, and a rolling pin. Roll the dough out into a rectangle of roughly 8×15 inches.
  3. Roll rectangle up into an 8 inch log and place, seam-down, in the prepared loaf pan.
  4. Cover loaf with plastic wrap (or foil, shower cap, etc.). Rise until it’s about 1 inch above the top of the loaf pan, 45 minutes - 1 hour.

Bake

  1. Preheat oven to 350F with rack in the lower-middle position.
  2. Bake for 30-34 minutes or until golden brown on top. If you gently tap on the loaf, it should sound hollow (or internal temp of 195F). If top is browning too quickly, loosely tent the pan with aluminum foil.

Serve

  1. Cool before slicing (or use sharp knife if the bread is still warm).

Tips

  • Storage: Cover leftover bread tightly and store at room temperature for 2-3 days or in the refrigerator for up to 10 days.
  • Flour: bread flour makes a chewier loaf
  • Refrigerating dough: cover the shaped bread tightly and refrigerate for up to about 15 hours. At least 3 hours before you need the bread the next day, remove  from the refrigerator, keep covered, and allow to rise on the counter for about 1-2 hours before baking. Alternatively, you can let the dough have its 1st rise in the refrigerator overnight. Cover the dough tightly and place in the refrigerator for up to 12 hours. Remove from the refrigerator and allow the dough to fully rise for 2 more hours.
  • Freezing dough: place shaped loaf in a greased 9×5-inch loaf pan or disposable loaf pan, cover tightly, and freeze for up to 3 months. On the day you serve it, let the loaf thaw and rise for about 4-5 hours at room temperature. Bake as directed.
  • Freezing baked loaf: Allow the bread to cool completely. Freeze for up to 3 months.

Source: https://sallysbakingaddiction.com/sandwich-bread/