INGREDIENTS
6 1/2 to 7 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 envelope instant yeast
1/4 cup sugar
2 3/4 cups very warm water (45C)
1/4 cup neutral-flavored oil (like grapeseed, vegetable, avocado)
Butter for top of loaves
DIRECTIONS:
- In the bowl of an electric stand mixer fitted with the dough hook , combine THREE cups of the flour, salt, yeast and sugar.
- Add the water and oil and mix until combined. The mixture will be thinner than bread dough.
- Cover the bowl and let the batter rest for 10 minutes
- With the mixer running, gradually add another 3 to 4 cups of flour, until the dough comes together in a well combined ball that clears the bottom and sides of the bowl and doesn’t leave a lot of doughy residue on your fingers when touched while still being just slightly tacky (not overfloured and dense).
- Knead for about 2 minutes until the dough is smooth .
- Lightly grease a large bowl. Transfer the dough to the prepared bowl, cover with greased plastic wrap or a light kitchen towel, and let rise until doubled, about an hour or so.
- Lightly punch down the dough and divide it into two equal pieces.
- Grease two 8 1/2-inch by 4 1/2-inch bread pans.
- Press each piece of dough into a thick rectangle about 8-inches long; roll it up, pressing on the seams, and pinching the final seam together.
- Place the dough loaves into the prepared pans.
- Cover with lightly greased plastic wrap or thin kitchen towels and let rise until doubled and the dough has risen about 1-inch above the top rim of the pan, about an hour or so.
- While the dough rises, preheat the oven to 180 degrees C.
- Bake the bread for 30-32 minutes until golden and baked through.
- Remove from the oven and turn the bread out onto a wire rack. Immediately brush the tops of the loaves with melted butter
- Let the bread cool completely.
