Munchie Monday: White Bread

Read about the history of Wonder Bread, first sold in May 1921, while enjoying homemade bread you’ve made using the wonder-fully easy bread recipe from the Macculloch-Miller family. Since families typically made multiple loaves of bread at a time in the 1800s, this recipe has been adapted to make a single loaf.

 

Original Recipe–White Bread (two loaves)

2 cups milk

2 tablespoons shortening

2 teaspoons salt

2 tablespoons sugar

½ yeast cake dissolved in half a cup of warm water

8 scant cups sifted flour

 

Adapted Recipe—White Bread (One Loaf)

1 cup warm milk (between 70 and 90 degrees)

2 tablespoons shortening

1 teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons sugar

½ cup warm water (110 degrees)

2 ¼ teaspoons dry active yeast (one packet)

4 cups of bread flour

Heat water to 110 degrees, stir in sugar until dissolved and add yeast. Set this mixture aside. It should start to bubble in about 4-5 minutes.

Sift 3 cups of flour and salt. Use the dough hook on a stand mixer and combine flour, salt, and shortening. Add warm milk. Add yeast mixture. Sift one additional cup of flour and add half a cup. If bread dough is still too moist, add the other half cup. Mix with dough hook for 3-4 minutes.  Dough should not be sticky. Lightly grease a bowl for the bread dough to rise in. Cover and put in a warm place for 1 hour.  The bread dough should double in size.  Punch down the dough and grease a loaf pan. Form dough and put into the greased loaf pan and cover. Let it rise a second time, 45 minutes to one hour. Dough should rise about 1 inch above the top of the pan.  Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Bake 25-27 minutes or until the internal temperature of the bread is 190 degrees.  Let cool on a baking rack for 30 minutes to one hour.