It's OK To Eat White Bread

Really, it won’t kill you. In our whole-wheat, flax seed, double-bran fiber world, we all need a little white bread. And when it’s homemade, that’s even better. I bake hearty white bread for my family a couple of times a month, usually two loaves at a time. It makes awesome toast, sandwiches, and French toast. It’s great just cut and buttered. And, it’s really cheap. “Hearty white” bread sells for about 3.99 or so at WalMart and Arlan’s. I can make it for a lot less:

Hearty White Bread (2 loaves)

½ cup milk ($0.06)
3 Tbs. white sugar (0.05 – I’m guessing here)
2 tsp. table salt (0.01)
5 tsp. active dry yeast (0.10)
3 Tbs. vegetable oil (0.05)
2 cups water (free)
6 cups unbleached white flour (0.72)

Grand total: $0.99 (less than a dollar for 2 loaves)

Heat water to approximately 110 – 115 degrees, or warm to the touch but not too hot. Add yeast and sugar, stir and let sit for about 5 minutes. Meanwhile, add 5 cups of the flour and the salt to a large bowl and stir well to combine. Warm milk to just above room temperature in microwave (about 20-30 seconds) and add to yeast mixture, stir. Add oil to yeast mixture and stir. Add yeast mixture to dry ingredients and mix with a spoon, add about 1 cup of flour and keep stirring until the dough leaves the side of the bowl, about a minute. Add a little more flour if the dough seems too wet. Dump out on to a floured surface and knead for about 6-8 minutes. Place dough ball into a greased bowl and cover with a towel; let rise in a warm place for one hour. Punch down and divide in half. Press out each half into a rectangle and roll up into a loaf. Place loaves in greased pans, cover with a towel, and let rise for about 40 more minutes. Bake at 350 degrees for about 40 minutes. Turn out on a rack to cool. This bread freezes well too, if your family will let you put a loaf in the freezer for later!