a bread post, finally :)

  Made a loaf of white bread today and was thoroughly pleased with the outcome.. they're not always so shapely.  In this case it was just a matter of having the right pan with the right recipe.

If you should get ambitious, give it a try.  Here's the recipe I use the most often:

3.5 c bread flour
1 cup warm water
1.5 tsp bread yeast granules
2 tsp salt
1 tbsp sugar
1 egg
2 tbsp olive oil
extra flour for surface dusting and kneading

mix water and yeast, stir till yeast is dissolved
add on all the other ingredients and mix with a spoon until it all comes together.. knead on a floured surface for 4-5 minutes.  it should get nice and smooth and be a bit tacky.  wash your bowl and dry it, oil it lightly and place the dough into it, cover with foil to retain moisture and put somewhere warm.  I use a sunny window on a warm day or just barely warm my oven, careful, it shouldn't be hot.
proof for 1.5 hrs or so, the dough should double at least.
take it out and punch it down on a floured surface and knead for a few more minutes.  stretch it into a 10" sheet and begin to roll it up like a scroll, when it's half rolled, tuck in the sides about one inch on each side and then finish rolling it.  lightly oil your bread pan and place the log shaped dough into it.  cover lightly with an oiled piece of tinfoil and proof for another hour, perhaps a bit more until it's just taller than the pan.  pull it out and pre-heat the oven to 450 F.  Make some nice cuts across the top of the loaf and bake it for 8 minutes, turn the oven down to 350 and bake for another 10 minutes.  Give the top a tap or two, it should sound hollow and be nicely browned.  cool and cut.  savor with much well deserved butter.