Fluffy Homemade White Bread
Make fluffy homemade white bread with just flour, water, yeast, oil and salt. This easy Romanian-style loaf is perfect for sandwiches, toast or to serve warm with butter at any meal.
Ingredients
- 4¼ cups all-purpose flour
- 1⅔ cups warm water
- 1 teaspoon fine salt
- 2¼ teaspoons active dry yeast
- 2 tablespoons sunflower oil
For brushing:
- 1 large egg
Instructions
- Pour the warm water into a large bowl and add the salt. Mix briefly to dissolve the salt.
- Sprinkle in the dry yeast. Let it sit for a minute, then stir to combine.
- Add the sunflower oil and mix it into the liquid.
- Start adding the flour gradually, mixing as you go so it hydrates evenly.
- Knead the dough for about 5 minutes, until it becomes smooth and slightly elastic.
- Shape the dough into a ball, transfer it to a clean, dry bowl lightly dusted with flour. Cover the bowl with a kitchen towel and let the dough rise in a warm place for 1 hour.
- The dough has now risen and increased in volume.
- Transfer the dough onto a lightly floured work surface and knead it briefly. Shape it into the type of loaf you prefer.
- Place the shaped loaf into a baking pan lined with parchment paper and cover it with a kitchen towel. Let it rise again for 20 minutes.
- The bread has risen and puffed up in the pan.
- Beat the egg and brush it over the surface of the bread using a pastry brush.
- Score the top of the loaf with a sharp knife so it can open nicely in the oven and avoid random cracks.
- Preheat the oven. Bake the bread for 20 minutes at 410°F (210°C), then reduce the temperature to 355°F (180°C) and bake for another 20 minutes, until deeply golden.
- Let the bread cool completely, then slice and serve.