Buttermilk Bread
One of the softest, most flavorful sandwich breads that will come out of your kitchen.
Ingredients
- 3 1/2 cups bread flour
- 1/4 cup honey
- 4 tablespoons butter, melted
- 1 packet of active dry yeast
- 1/4 cup water, warm (between 100-110 degrees)
- 1 cup buttermilk, warm (between 100-110 degrees)
- 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
Instructions
- Start by combining 1 packet of active dry yeast, 1/4 teaspoon of ground ginger, 1 teaspoon of granulated sugar and 1/4 cup of warm water. Whisk until combined and set in a warm place until bloomed (5-10 minutes)
- Transfer the bloomed yeast into a large bowl and add 1/4 cup of honey and 1 cup of warm buttermilk. Whisk to combine
- Add 1/2 teaspoon of salt, 1/2 teaspoon of baking soda and 1 cup of bread flour. Whisk to combine
- Add 3 tablespoons of melted butter and 1/2 cup of bread flour and whisk until all of the ingredients are fully combined
- Switch from a whisk to a spatula and add 1 more cup of bread flour
- Mix until a loose dough forms
- Transfer the dough onto a lightly floured work surface
- Knead for 3-5 minutes, adding additional flour, if necessary
- Once the dough is smooth and elastic, form it into a smooth ball and transfer the dough into a lightly greased large glass bowl
- Cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap and let it rest for 90 minutes in a warm place
- Once the dough has doubled in size, transfer it onto a floured work surface
- Gently press the dough out into a large oval using your finger tips
- Roll the dough into a cylinder and transfer it into a buttered 9"x5" loaf pan
- Cover the loaf pan with a clean kitchen towel and let it rest in a warm place for 30 minutes
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees
- Once the dough has puffed with in the loaf pan, loosely cover the loaf pan with foil (instructions above)
- Bake in a 400 degree oven for 30-35 minutes (remove the foil when there is 10 minutes of baking time left)
- Once the dough is deeply golden brown and the internal temperature reaches 190-200 degrees, carefully transfer the bread from the loaf pan onto a cooling rack
- For the softest crust, brush the outer surface with 1 tablespoon of melted butter while the bread is still hot
- Allow the bread to cool for 45 minutes before slicing
- Store at room temperature in an air tight container