The best homemade bread you've ever had! Crusty & Chewy. Recipe makes one loaf.
Prep Time: 1 hourhr20 minutesmins
Cook Time: 35 minutesmins
Total Time: 1 hourhr55 minutesmins
Ingredients
1 1/4cupwarm water80-110 degrees F
1 1/4tspsalt
2tbspsugar
2tbspsalted butterroom temp, softened
2tbspwhole buttermilk or whole milk or sour cream
3 1/2cupsbread flour or all purpose flour
2tspyeastrapid rise
Instructions
Measure warm water and pour in a stand mixer bowl. Sprinkle the yeast on top of the water and wait about 5 minutes for the yeast to activate (should bubble up a bit.)
Add salt, sugar, butter, buttermilk, and flour to bowl. With the paddle attachment, mix the ingredients until they are just combined. Switch to the dough hook and knead the bread on medium speed for about 5-7 minutes.
Place the dough in a greased bowl and cover it with plastic wrap. I don't use a separate bowl for this, I just grease the bowl with the dough in it.
Let it rise in a warm space for about 30 minutes or until doubled in size. I like to use the oven for this. Turn it to warm setting (around 170 degrees for a few minutes and then turn off.) works like a charm!
Punch the dough down, and then take the dough ball, form it into a loaf and put it in a greased loaf pan (I use a 9 x 5 cake pan) and let it rise again for about another 25 minutes. Go ahead and preheat your oven to 375 degrees at this time.
Bake for 35-40 minutes or until golden brown. Allow the bread to cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then move to a wire rack to cool completely.
Notes
For Bread Machine only: If using the bread maker, place in ingredients in the pan in this order: water, salt, sugar, butter, buttermilk, flour, then yeast. Notes: I used faucet warm water, at around 105 degrees. Added salt, sugar, & cold buttermilk straight from fridge. 2 tbsp softened butter (had been sitting at room temp for a while). Then followed by 3 1/2 cups all purpose flour (spooned and leveled). Followed by 2 tsp of yeast (NO MORE than this, or bread will flop in machine, even on the rapid cycle.)