Sandwich Bread

I felt like making bread today. I knew there was a simple recipe for white sandwich bread in The Best Recipe cookbook (by the editors of Cook’s Illustrated magazine) so I pulled out the book, checked the ingredients, and got underway.
 

American Sandwich Bread from the Best Recipe cookbook

Of course since it was a spur of the moment decision to bake bread, I wasn’t entirely prepared. The recipe calls for rapid rise yeast, and I only had regular old active dry yeast on hand. Furthermore, “old” was the operative word in that last sentence, since the yeast packets in the pantry were a wee bit expired. The master recipe also called for using a stand mixer, which I don’t have, so I had to use two of the (helpful) recipe modifications – both for the yeast and for mixing the dough in a food processor. Of course, I went ahead and baked the bread – I just added a little bit more yeast in case it had lost some of its potency.

Mixing the dough in the food processor was so easy; I want to try that again soon. The kids had fun kneading the dough with me; their two rolls are in the picture as well. That loaf will probably last us about a day and a half, so maybe there will be more baking later this week.