Bake Bread & Break Bread

Quality family time in the kitchen and at the table, gathered around a warm loaf of bread.

Baking bread at home is somewhat of a lost art. We understand. It seems like it can be a lot of work and if you haven’t done it before, a little mysterious. At Zingerman’s Bakehouse, we’re thrilled to be your neighborhood baker and spend our days turning out loaves for our community to enjoy. It’s our job, and we love it! But, if you want to bake bread yourself, we’ve got you covered there, too.

Whether you’re looking to try something new in your home oven or teach your kids some basic life skills in the kitchen, our Bakehouse White Bread is a good place to start for those new to bread making. It is a yeasted dough, but does not require the same time commitment or involved process as our sourdough-based bread recipes. This bread recipe can be completed in three to four hours in all. And when it’s finished, you’ll be beaming with pride and rewarded with warm golden loaves emerging from your oven.

bake bread — bakehouse white
Bakehouse White loaves by Rachel Jacobs

 

Bake Bread at Home

Zingerman’s Bakehouse White is our version of the classic crowd-pleasing American white bread, but with more flavor than other white breads you may have had. It’s made with a little butter and milk to make for a soft crumb and tender crust. 

Take pleasure in this incredibly versatile bread. It’s great with butter, toasted or not. Grilled cheese, club sandwiches, French toast, and garlic bread are all made the better for it. We can’t wait for you to gather around the table and try it! Give our recipe a try, so you can bake bread and break bread at home.

bake bread — bakehouse white

Bakehouse White Bread recipe 

Yield: 2 loaves

 

Ingredients                           volume                  pounds                grams

Milk (whole, room temp)          1 1⁄2 cups              0.75 lb.                341 g.

Granulated sugar                    1⁄4 cup + 1 tsp.      0.12 lb.                55 g.

Eggs (XL, room temp)             2 each                    2 each                  2 each

Instant yeast*                        1 tbsp.                   1 tbsp.                  1 tbsp.

Butter (room temp)                1⁄2 cup + 2 tbsp.     0.31 lb.                141 g.

All-purpose flour                     5 cups + 1⁄2 tbsp.   1.55 lb.                704 g.

Sea salt                                 1 tbsp.                    1 tbsp.                 1 tbsp.


For conventional ovens, preheat the oven to 375°F 20 minutes prior to baking.

For convection ovens, preheat the oven to 350°F 20 minutes prior to baking.

Instructions:
  1. In a large bowl, combine the milk, granulated sugar, eggs, and instant yeast. Mix thoroughly with a wooden spoon. You can also use a stand mixer.
  2. Add the butter and half of the flour and beat with a spoon or using the paddle attachment of the mixer, until the mixture becomes well incorporated and smooth. Some lumps of butter are okay.
  3. Add the salt and the remaining flour. Stir/mix until well combined.
  4. Scrape all the leftover flour out of your mixing bowl onto a work surface and knead the dough for 6-8 minutes. If using a mixer, use the hook attachment and knead for 6 minutes. The dough will be wet and sticky during the kneading process but will strengthen and become smooth.
  5. Place the dough in an oiled bowl, cover with plastic and ferment for 1 hour.
  6. After 1 hour, lightly flour a work surface. Turn the dough out of the container onto the floured surface. Cut the dough into 2 equal-sized pieces.
  7. Shape each piece into a round (pre-shape). Allow the dough to rest on a lightly floured surface covered with plastic for 10 minutes.
  8. To shape the dough, lightly press each piece into a rectangle with even thickness. Starting at the top edge, start folding the dough onto itself pressing the seam as you go. Continue until you get to the bottom edge making sure to close the seam tightly.
  9. Prepare two 9”x5”x4” loaf pans with nonstick cooking spray. Place the loaves seam side down in the pans, and press the dough so that it fills the pans completely and evenly from end to end.
  10. Cover dough with plastic and proof at room temperature for 1 to 1 1⁄2 hours.
  11. Once the loaves have risen to 1 1⁄2 times their original size, bake for 30 minutes, until the loaves are nicely browned and the internal temperature is 190° F.
  12. Turn the loaves out of the pan immediately and allow them to cool to room temperature on a wire rack.
  13. Store room temperature loaves in a paper bag, or freeze.
*If you’d rather use active dry yeast, the ratio of active dry to instant is 1.5 to 1. So, in this case, you could substitute 1.5 tablespoons of active dry yeast. 
bake bread — bakehouse white
Bakehouse White and Margaret’s Sweet Wheat loaves by Irene Beganyi-Burg
Zingerman's Creative Services Director | + posts

Sara grew up in metro Detroit making her own birthday cakes and dreaming of a career in baking. At age 17 her path began with the Schoolcraft College Culinary Arts program, and at 18 she got her first job in the field right here in the pastry kitchen of Zingerman's Bakehouse. That work evolved over a couple of decades to include baking, customer service, cooking, project management, copywriting, and much more. She even helped to create BAKE! and this blog! Today, Sara leads the creative team at Zingerman's Service Network, supporting the blogs, websites, copywriting, packaging, and other marketing for Zingerman's Community of Businesses. Sara remains a die-hard fan of Pecan Pie, Pavlova, Paris Brest, Patti Pockets, and other desserts that start with 'P.'

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Veronique
Veronique
3 years ago

Thank you sooo much😊

Michelle
Michelle
3 years ago

So excited to try this out!

Debbie Chapman
Debbie Chapman
3 years ago

Thank you so much! Just another reason Zingerman’s is the best!!!

Lynda
Lynda
3 years ago

Thanks so much! A great project while we are stuck at home!!

Dave
Dave
3 years ago

A tablespoon of yeast not a teaspoon?

Lindsay-Jean Hard
Admin
Lindsay-Jean Hard
3 years ago
Reply to  Dave

Hi Dave, 1 tablespoon of instant yeast or 1.5 tablespoons of active dry yeast.

Jeanette T
Jeanette T
3 years ago

Thank you so much. I love your book.
What is the FDT before bulk fermentation for 1 to 1.5 hrs.

Lindsay-Jean Hard
Admin
Lindsay-Jean Hard
3 years ago
Reply to  Jeanette T

Thanks Jeanette! 78 degrees Fahrenheit is ideal, but anywhere between 75 and 80 is good.

Susan
Susan
3 years ago

Any hints on how you know it’s done proving?

Lindsay-Jean Hard
Admin
Lindsay-Jean Hard
3 years ago
Reply to  Susan

To know if dough is done proofing, you can do something called the poke test or the press test. After one hour, use the pad of your finger to press the dough. You want it to hold the indentation but spring back about 2/3rds of the way. This is showing us how much energy the yeast has to use up. If the dough springs back all the way, the yeast still has work to do at room temperature. If it holds the indentation and doesn’t come back at all this means the dough is overproofed and the yeast has no… Read more »

Jeanette T
Jeanette T
3 years ago

One more question please. Will one loaf (1/2 of total dough) fit in a 9 inch Pullman loaf pan with the lid? Would I need to weigh out a different amount of dough to fit it?
Thanks so much.

Lindsay-Jean Hard
Admin
Lindsay-Jean Hard
3 years ago
Reply to  Jeanette T

Yes. This recipe makes about 3 pounds of dough, so half (1.5 pounds) works for a 9-inch Pullman pan.

Jeanette T
Jeanette T
3 years ago

I ended up using a 3 strap 1 lb pan that made 3 loaves a size I could share with my neighbors. Perfect. On my list to make next week. Lovely recipe and wonderful dough to work with. Thanks again zing

Lindsay-Jean Hard
Admin
Lindsay-Jean Hard
3 years ago
Reply to  Jeanette T

Oh nice, love that idea. Glad they turned out well!

Jeanette Mok
Jeanette Mok
3 years ago

I have a Pullman loaf pan. Would the Bskehouse white loaf work rather than the 2 large loaf pans. Thank you.

Lindsay-Jean Hard
Admin
Lindsay-Jean Hard
3 years ago
Reply to  Jeanette Mok

You’ll want to use 1.5 pounds of dough for a 9-inch Pullman pan or 2 pounds of dough for a 13-inch Pullman pan. This recipe makes about 3 pounds of dough, so if you have the 9-inch, you’ll be able to make 2 loaves, if you have the 13-inch, you can make one loaf and some rolls (or a mini loaf).

Kathy Delp
Kathy Delp
3 years ago

Thank you for the recipe. Made cinnamon rolls yesterday for my granddaughters. Made sure I had plenty of flour for my quarantine. Miss you guys.

dave
dave
3 years ago

Hi maybe I am reading too much in the the recipe. “Eggs (XL, room temp) 2 each” Why “each”? does the recipe need (4) eggs for the 2 loves this recipe calls for?

Lindsay-Jean Hard
Admin
Lindsay-Jean Hard
3 years ago
Reply to  dave

Just 2! (For ingredients that don’t have a volume measurement like cup or tablespoon we tend to put “each.”) Happy baking!

Dave
Dave
3 years ago

Thanks

Laka
Laka
3 years ago

Can this recipe be scaled for a single loaf (half the ingredients)?

Mary
Mary
2 years ago

Can you use large eggs with n place of extra large?

Tony Perona
Tony Perona
2 years ago
Reply to  Mary

I’ve always used large eggs instead and have never had any issues.

Mary Beganyi
Mary Beganyi
2 years ago

Love the photo by Irene Beganyi-Burg

Tony Perona
Tony Perona
2 years ago

If I wanted to make rolls with half the dough instead of making an additional loaf, what would you recommend as to how many rolls to make and how long to bake them? Thanks!

Francine B. Armstead
Francine B. Armstead
2 years ago

How can I order this cookbook?