I've posted this recipe on An American Housewife soooo many times. But I've made it a thousand more than I've posted. This is the one classic bread dough recipe that always works. Never fails. Is forgiving on if I want to use a mixture of wheat blends for the flour, want to make it into rolls, buns, cinnamon rolls, garlic bread... anything.
The last time I made bread with it (which was just last week for our houseguests) I was thinking to myself that I've never NOT had this dough turn out. And I've been making this recipe since around 2000 so... 20+ years now.
I have two classic, wonderful bread dough recipes that I use, but the other one is a little more involved as it uses scalded milk, melted butter, eggs and time for cooling (and 2 risings). This one is my 'go to' because it's so easy and yet so forgiving and so good.
I typically make this in my KitchenAid stand mixer because it's so easily available (and the bread machine is in a cupboard). But it comes together even quicker if you make the whole thing in a bread machine start to finish.
Classic White Dough
Can be used for bread, buns, cinnamon rolls, garlic bread, etc.
12 oz. warm water
1 1/2 t salt
2 T butter
4 - 4 1/2 c unbleached bread flour (or use all purpose if that is what you already have)
2 T dry milk powder
2 T sugar
1 3/4 t yeast, dry
Either place this in a bread machine
(in the order your machine requires) and run on the dough setting or place into a large KitchenAid style mixer with a bread dough hook and knead/mix for about 5 minutes or use an electric mixer and place the water, salt, sugar and yeast in first; let it set and proof for about 2 minutes and then add the butter, dry milk and flour. You can also do this all by hand (if you have really strong arm muscles for the 10 minutes of kneading it will take.)
Typically I make this in my large KitchenAid stand mixer or my old, reliable bread machine.
Let your dough set for about 6-10 minutes after kneading to rest.
Remove the dough from the machine or the mixer bowl. FOR BUNS: Divide it in half. Then each half into half. Then each of those halves into half. This is how you will get fairly equal sized balls. If making rolls to go with a meal divide them until you have golf ball sized balls. If using for hamburger buns, stop dividing the dough when they are double that size so they will be large enough for the hamburger patties. Roll in your floured hands and place on greased or parchment lined baking sheets.
Letting them rise will give you a taller fluffier bun but you can also bake them right away if you are pressed for time and don't mind a dense roll, which works for soups, etc if you really, really need these right away.
Bake at 375F for approximately 15 minutes but this can be up to 22 minutes depending on the size buns you make, the thickness of your baking sheet and your oven. Bread takes about 27-35 minutes. When they are golden brown remove them, brush the tops with butter for a softer bun and let cool to warm to serve as rolls or cool completely and serve as hamburger buns.
Because I've made this recipe a thousand times, I've posted it many, many times. No sense reinventing the wheel, so here are some photos from another post of when it was made into bread. I also had a mixture of home-ground white and red wheat in these, so you can see the little bits of different shades of wheat grain in these.
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| The first raising |
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| This recipe makes two loaves. Form and put in a greased pan. |
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| Let raise and then bake until done - about 30-35 minutes. |
