Country White Bread

A crispy, golden crust hides a creamy, dense interior and it only needs one rise before your kitchen is filled with the smell of freshly baked bread!

Ingredients:

2 1/4 tsps instant yeast

1 1/2 cups lukewarm water (105-110°F)

1 tbsp sugar

2 tsps salt

3-4 cups flour

1 egg white

2 tsps water

Start by activating the yeast. Sprinkle it on top of the lukewarm water and leave it for 5-10 minutes or until it starts to get foamy.

Stir in 1 1/2 cups of flour. When it's combined mix the sugar, salt and another 1 1/2 cups flour together and add to the bowl. Knead (either by machine or hand) until the dough will take on no more flour and it's smooth and elastic in texture.

Place the ball in a greased bowl and cover with a damp dishtowel. (Helpful Hint: keep your butter wrappers in a ziplock bag in the freezer. Just pull one out when you need to grease something!)

Place the bowl in a warm, draft free area for 45 - 60 minutes or until doubled in size.

Once the dough has risen (I always love to see this!) punch it down and cut in half. Tip the bowl over and turn the dough out onto the counter.

Gently form each half into a loaf and place on greased baking sheets. I scored one just for fun, but it's not necessary.

Combine the egg white and water and brush over the loaves. This will give the bread a nice shiny finish when baked. But you can skip this step if you like.