Gold Medal™ Classic White Bread

  • Prep Time 35 min
  • Total 3 hr 25 min
  • Servings 32
  • Ingredients 7

Ingredients

  • 6 to 7 cups Gold Medal™ All-Purpose Flour
  • 3 tablespoons sugar
  • 1 tablespoon salt
  • 2 tablespoons shortening
  • 2 packages regular or quick active dry yeast (4 1/2 teaspoons)
  • 2 1/4 cups very warm water (120° to 130°F)
  • 2 tablespoons butter or margarine, melted, if desired

Instructions

  • Step 
    1
    In large bowl, stir 3 1/2 cups of the flour, the sugar, salt, shortening and yeast until well mixed. Add warm water. Beat with electric mixer on low speed 1 minute, scraping bowl frequently. Beat on medium speed 1 minute, scraping bowl frequently. Stir in enough remaining flour, 1 cup at a time, to make dough easy to handle.
  • Step 
    2
    Place dough on lightly floured surface. Knead about 10 minutes or until dough is smooth and springy. Grease large bowl with shortening. Place dough in bowl, turning dough to grease all sides. Cover bowl loosely with plastic wrap and let rise in warm place 40 to 60 minutes or until dough has doubled in size. Dough is ready if indentation remains when touched.
  • Step 
    3
    Grease bottoms and sides of two 8x4-inch or 9x5-inch loaf pans with shortening or spray with cooking spray.
  • Step 
    4
    Gently push fist into dough to deflate. Divide dough in half. Flatten each half with hands or rolling pin into 18x9-inch rectangle on lightly floured surface. Roll dough up tightly, beginning at 9-inch side. Press with thumbs to seal after each turn. Pinch edge of dough into roll to seal. Pinch each end of roll to seal. Fold ends under loaf. Place seam side down in pan. Brush loaves lightly with butter. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and let rise in warm place 35 to 50 minutes or until dough has doubled in size.
  • Step 
    5
    Move oven rack to low position so that tops of pans will be in center of oven. Heat oven to 425°F.
  • Step 
    6
    Bake 25 to 30 minutes or until loaves are deep golden brown and sound hollow when tapped. Remove from pans to wire rack. Brush loaves with butter; cool.

  • It’s important for the yeast in the bread that it has a warm place to rise. The warming drawer of your oven is an ideal location, but if it’s unavailable, you can also let your dough rise inside your oven with the light on, and the heat off. Or, because heat rises, try the top of your refrigerator.
  • When wrapping your bread dough in plastic wrap as it rises, do not wrap the plastic too tightly. Bread rises because the active yeast in the dough eats the sugar and expels carbon monoxide. All that gas is released, causing the bread to grow. If the plastic wrap is too tight, there won’t be enough room for all the carbon monoxide build-up.
  • While it’s not necessary to brush the bread in butter when it comes out of the oven, this will give your loaf a beautiful glossy look and a delicious buttery taste.

Nutrition Facts

Serving Size: 1 Slice
Calories
100
Calories from Fat
10
Total Fat
1g
2%
Saturated Fat
0g
0%
Trans Fat
0g
Cholesterol
0mg
0%
Sodium
220mg
9%
Potassium
40mg
1%
Total Carbohydrate
21g
7%
Dietary Fiber
0g
0%
Sugars
1g
Protein
3g
% Daily Value*:
Vitamin A
0%
0%
Vitamin C
0%
0%
Calcium
0%
0%
Iron
8%
8%
Exchanges:
1 Starch; 0 Fruit; 0 Other Carbohydrate; 0 Skim Milk; 0 Low-Fat Milk; 0 Milk; 0 Vegetable; 0 Very Lean Meat; 0 Lean Meat; 0 High-Fat Meat; 0 Fat;
Carbohydrate Choice
1 1/2
*Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
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