Hello and welcome back!
Have you ever tried to get bread dough out of a wire whisk? For years I used a regular wire whisk or wooden spoon to mix flour into the liquid mixture when stirring up bread dough. Cleanup was the messiest, especially with that wire whisk.
Then one day I discovered a new baking utensil (new to me) called a Danish Dough Whisk.
Following my mama's lead, I used a regular white bread recipe for cinnamon rolls. I thought her rolls were the most delicious cinnamon rolls I had ever tasted. I liked them so much that I requested them for my 4th grade birthday treats at school that year, instead of plain old cupcakes. How many of you remember taking treats to school for your birthday?
After school that day, as I was walking home with the tray that had held the leftover rolls, several classmates were clambering around begging for another cinnamon roll.
I wonder.......was that what sparked my quest to be a baker?
The first bread dough recipe I used as a young wife was called the Perfect White Bread. It WAS perfect and still is. It is my go-to white bread recipe. I actually received this recipe from my sister, Tracy, back when we were beginning our lives as young wives. This recipe was the first bread recipe I used for making cinnamon rolls.
This Perfect White Bread recipe results in a soft, smooth and tender bread texture. It is ideal for what my mama called 'milk toast', (which my husband doesn't particularly care for) but for me it is a comfort food I remember from childhood. When preparing it, and savoring it's flavor, it brings back a little bit of nostalgia for me.
Now that the weather is turning colder, it calls for a loaf, or two, of homemade bread. Since my husband likes cinnamon swirl bread best, I will make him a loaf and the other, I'll make plain, for some milk toast for myself. Maybe I'll give my youngest son a call and see if he would like to come over and have some milk toast with me. He's also a fan of milk toast. There has been a time or two that he has called to ask me how to make it.
Makes me remember calling my mama for help with recipes way back when I was young....
Here is my
Perfect White Bread recipe Printable Recipe
2 cups milk
1 package of dry yeast
1/4 cup warm water
1/2 cup sugar
1 teaspoon salt
3 Tablespoon oil
5-6 cups flour
1) In a small sauce pan, scald milk over medium heat. Remove from heat. Cool to lukewarm/110 degrees. *Scalded milk is milk that has been heated to 180 degrees. At this temperature bacteria is killed which was important before pasteurization. Scalding milk may be old school but I think it gives the bread a slightly better flavor. Milk can be scalded in the microwave, too.
2) In a small bowl, dissolve yeast plus 1 teaspoon sugar in warm water. Whisk together. Set aside to allow mixture to become foamy. About 5 minutes.
3) In a large bowl, add sugar, salt and oil, then add the slightly cooled milk.
4) Add yeast mixture to milk mixture. Stir well.
5) Add 2 cups flour and beat with hand mixer until smooth. With Danish Dough Whisk, mix in the remainder of the flour, one cup at a time, until dough pulls away from the bowl.
6) Turn dough out onto a floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic. 5-6 minutes.
7) Place dough in a large greased bowl. Cover with damp towel and allow to rise until double in a warm place away from draft.
8) After dough is double in size, punch down and divide dough in half. Place each half in a greased loaf pan. Allow to rise, covered, until double
9) Bake at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes.
I hope you'll take the time to try this recipe. Enjoy!
See you next week!
“This is my invariable advice to people: Learn how to cook- try new recipes, learn from your mistakes, be fearless, and above all have fun!”
― My Life in France
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