Once I learned to make the perfect bread at home, I usually don't buy it at the store anymore.
What a change, no? And would you believe me if I said the homemade one tastes much better and richer?
The recipe is straightforward and it doesn't take much time. Even beginners can make the perfect bread.
Let me share my recipe.
Ingredients:
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tbsp sugar (I usually make it slightly sweeter than usual, you can put half tbsp if you don't like it sweet)
- ¾ tsp salt
- 1 tsp active dry yeast (the proportion is 1/2 tsp for every cup of flour)
- ⅔ cup warm milk
- 1 ½ tbsp butter (softened)/oil
The ingredients are pretty simple. You can also add 1 egg. But this bread comes so good without egg that I usually don't put one.
Step-by-step process:
Mix the flour, yeast, sugar, and salt with the warm milk. Mix them gently. The dough will form and it will be sticky.
Don't worry, after making the dough, add the oil/butter so it doesn't stick and the outer part doesn't get crispy when you keep it aside to rest.
Put it in a warm place, near the gas oven, or inside the warm oven to rise. It will take an hour to double the size.
Once the flour is raised after putting it in a warm place, knead until smooth. Make a roll or you can make any design on the top like sourdough as well.
Then shape it into a loaf and place it in a greased pan. It's mandatory to let it rise again for another 30-45 minutes, otherwise, the bread will not be that soft.
I have brushed some egg yolks on the top and added sesame seeds. I forgot to brush the yolks first, you don't make this mistake. The yolk will give the bread a beautiful color. But it's not mandatory, you can skip the egg if you want.
Bake at 350°F (175°C) for 25-30 minutes and the bread will look like this.
See the color, doesn't it look absolutely gorgeous?
Let it cool in the pan for 10-15 minutes, then take it off from the pan and slice it as you like; thick or thin.
Enjoy the bread.
This milk bread goes so well with tea and coffee, as a breakfast. I also make sandwiches within and I have no complaints, they taste great.
If you are looking for something homemade to enjoy at home or for the tiffin/lunch for your school-going children; this bread can be a solution.
Have a good day, everyone.