A white tin loaf from your own oven is something quite different from one from the shop. Milk and a little butter give a soft crumb, and the crust turns thin and golden. It is the loaf for Sunday breakfast, with butter and jam.
Black Month pack What you need
The recipe makes 1 loaf in a 1.5 litre tin.
- 300 ml milk
- 25 g fresh yeast or 6 g dried yeast
- 1 tbsp sugar
- 1 tsp salt
- 30 g soft butter
- About 500 g plain flour
- A little milk to brush
- A little butter for the tin
How to make it
- Heat the milk until lukewarm, and stir in the yeast. If you use dried yeast, mix it into the flour.
- Add the sugar, salt and most of the flour.
- Knead for about 10 minutes, adding the rest of the flour as needed. Work in the butter towards the end.
- Cover the dough, and let it rise for about 1 hour.
- Shape the dough into an oblong loaf, and put it in a greased tin.
- Let it rise for about 30 minutes, until it nearly reaches the rim, and heat the oven to 200 °C.
- Brush with milk, and make a lengthwise cut if you like.
- Bake on the bottom shelf of the oven at 200 °C for 30 to 35 minutes.
- Take the loaf out of the tin at once, and let it cool on a wire rack.
Is the loaf done?
Take the loaf out of the tin, and tap the base. A finished loaf sounds hollow. If you want to be quite sure, put a cooking thermometer in the middle. It should show about 95 °C. There are more tests in when is bread done.
Common mistakes
- A heavy loaf: The dough is too firm. Use a little less flour next time.
- A big crack on the side: The loaf has risen for too short a time before baking.
- A sunken top: The loaf has risen for too long.
How the loaf keeps
White bread dries out faster than wholemeal, so wrap it once it is completely cold. In the bread bag with the clip on it copes well with the fridge, as the dry air in there cannot get in. If it needs to last even longer, freeze it, ideally in slices. The full overview is in how long does white bread last.
Bivoks™ bread bag299 NOKCotton and linen with beeswax on the inside. Measures 30.5 × 43 cm, closes with a clip and can go in the freezer.
Frequently asked questions
Can I use water instead of milk?
Yes. The crumb turns a little less soft, and the crust turns crisper.
Can I bake the loaf without a tin?
Yes. Shape a round loaf, and bake it on a tray. It turns out wider and lower.
Can the dough rise in the fridge?
Yes. Then use only about 8 g fresh yeast, put the tin in the fridge overnight and bake the loaf the next morning. See cold proofing bread.
Can a white loaf be frozen?
Yes. It is easiest to use in slices, as you then take out what you need.
Would you like a heartier loaf? See all our bread recipes.
Sunday's loaf, still good on Tuesday
The Bivoks™ bread bag keeps the loaf soft in the fridge, and it can go with it into the freezer.
See the bread bag →- 365-day guarantee
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- Closes with a clip
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- Reusable for 12+ months