Basic White Bread
Make 1 large loaf
Ingredients:
4 cups white bread flour, plus 2 tbsp for dusting
1 tsp salt
One ¼ oz/7g envelope active dry yeast
1 tbsp vegetables oil or melted butter, plus 1 tsp for greasing
1 ¼ cups warm water
You will need: a large mixing bowl, a wooden spoon, a measuring cup, a 2 lb/900 g loaf pan, and a cooling rack. （我就是用的最常见的8寸半的bread loaf pan).
Method:
1. Mix the flour, salt, and yeast together in a mixing bowl. Add the oil and water and stir well to form a soft dough.
2. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured board and knead well by hand for 5-7 minutes. Alternatively, use a free-standing electric mixer for this and knead the dough with the dough hook for 4-5 minutes. The dough should have a smooth appearance and feel elastic.
3. Return the dough to the bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and let rise in a warm place for 1 hour, when it has doubled in size, turn it out onto a floured board and knead again for 30 seconds; this is known as “punching down.” Knead it until smooth.
4. Shape the dough into a rectangular the length of the pan and three times the width. Grease the pan well, fold the dough into three lengthwise, and put it in the pan with the join underneath for a well-shaped loaf. Cover and let rise in a warm place for 30 minutes until it has risen well above the pan.
5. Preheat the oven to 425 F. Bake in the center of the preheated oven for 25-30 minutes until firm and golden brown. Test that the loaf is cooked by tapping it on the base--it should sound hollow. Cool on a cooling rack for 30 minutes. Store in an airtight container in a cool place for 3-4 days.
