Classic White Bread

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup lukewarm (105-115F) skim milk
• 1/4 cup lukewarm (105-115F) warm water
• 2 tsp granulated sugar
• 1 envelope active dry yeast
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp skim milk

Makes 16 Servings

1. In a small bowl, combine the lukewarm milk and water and sugar; sprinkle with the yeast. Let stand until foamy, about 10 minutes.
2. In a food procesor, combine the flour and salt. With the machine running, scrape the yeast mixture throught the food tube just until thedough forms a ball. Knead  the dough by pulsing until it is smooth and no longer sticky, about 30 times.
3. Spray a large bowl with nonstick spray; place the dough in the bowl. Cover loosely with plastic wrap or a damp towel and let the dough rise in a warm, draft-free place until it doubles in volume, 40-50 minutes.
4. Punch down the dough; lightly sprinkle a work surface with flour. Turn out the dough; pat into a 8 X 12-inch rectangle. Fold into thirds lengthwise, pinching the seams to seal, and form into a 8-inch loaf. Spray an 8 X 4-inch loaf pan with nonstick spray. Place the dough in the pan, seam-side down; cover with plastic wrap or a damp towel and it rise in a warm, draft-free place until doubled in volume, 35-40 minutes. Preheat the oven to 425 F.
5. Brush the bread with the teaspoon of the milk. Bake on center oven rack about 20 minutes; reduce oven temperature to 375 F. Bake until the bread is golden brown, 25-30 minutes longer. Remove the bread from the pan and cool completely on a rack.
    

WW POINTS VALUE: 1 pt (1/16 of loaf per serving)

 

Note: This recipe appears in the WW New Complete Cookbook. It was a cold this past weekend and I wanted to wamr up the house and make homemade bread from scratch. Oh my god, it was a success. It  was time comsuming because the yeast had to rise but it was worth the time and effort. You can serve this bread as a sandwich, with soup or as a side with your meal. The great thing about this white bread is you don't feel guilty eating it because you made it yourself and you know there are no preservatives in it.