White Bread (And Cinnamon Swirl Bread)

White Bread (And Cinnamon Swirl Bread)

Ingredients

·        4½ teaspoons instant yeast two 0.25-ounce packets

·        ¾ cup + 2⅔ cups warm water divided

·        ¼ cup granulated sugar

·        1 tablespoon salt

·        3 tablespoons unsalted butter, cubed, at room temperature

·        9 to 10 cups all-purpose flour

·        3 tablespoons unsalted butter melted, for brushing

Directions

1.      In the bowl of a mixer, stir to dissolve the yeast in ¾ cup of the warm water, and let sit for 5 minutes. Add the remaining 2⅔ cups water, sugar, salt, room temperature butter, and 5 cups of the flour and stir to combine.

2.      Using a dough hook, mix on low speed and gradually add the remaining flour until the dough is soft and tacky, but not sticky (you may not need to use all of the flour). Continue to knead until a soft ball of dough forms and clears the sides of the bowl, about 7 to 10 minutes.

3.      Place the dough in a lightly greased bowl and turn it over so it is completely coated. Cover with plastic wrap and set in a draft-free place to rise until doubled in size, about 45 minutes to 1 hour.

4.      Turn the dough out onto a clean, lightly floured surface. Gently press it all over to remove any air pockets. Divide the dough in two and, working with one piece at a time, gently pat it into a 9x12-inch rectangle. Roll up the rectangle, starting on the short end, into a very tight cylinder. Pinch to seal the seams and the ends, tuck the ends of the roll until the bread, and place into greased 9-inch loaf pans. Cover the loaves loosely and place in a draft-free area until doubled in size, 30 to 45 minutes.

5.      Position an oven rack on the lowest setting and preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

6.      Brush the loaves with some of the melted butter. Bake the loaves for 30 to 35 minutes, rotating halfway through, until golden brown (an instant-read thermometer inserted into the center should read 195 degrees F).

7.      Remove from the oven and immediately brush with more of the melted butter. Allow to cool for 10 minutes, then remove from the pans and cool completely before slicing. The bread can be stored in an airtight bread bag or wrapped tightly in plastic wrap at room temperature for up to 4 days. It can also be frozen for up to 1 month.

*To make cinnamon swirl bread, roll each half of the dough out on silicone mat (to width should be length of bread pan). Brush each half of dough with about 1/2 Tbsp melted butter and sprinkle with mixture of ¼ sugar and ½ Tbsp cinnamon. Roll up and pinch to seal. Pull ends down over pinched edge of loaf to seal ends. Place seam-side down in bread pan and brush top with butter. Let rise as usual.

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