Buttermilk Bread

This bread is awesome for sandwiches. It’s soft and buttery and delicious. It’s not overly soft and mushy like grocery store bread…it’s just soft enough and not at all mushy. That’s because the key ingredient is, you guessed it, buttermilk.

I always hear that people are intimidated by bread and therefore don’t make it. It couldn’t be easier—unless you’re doing the Julia Child-style French bread that takes nine hours of constant dedication. The bread recipes I use on this blog are all from this book, which makes breadmaking incredibly easy and fast. You don’t even have to knead! So don’t be afraid to try it. Homemade bread is the most worthwhile baking adventure you will ever undertake.

Buttermilk Bread
Makes 3 1 1/2 pound loaves (this recipe is easily doubled or halved)

2 cups lukewarm water
1 cup buttermilk
1 1/2 tablespoons granulated yeast (1.5 packets)
1 1/2 tablespoons salt
1 1/2 tablespoons sugar
6 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour

1) Mix the yeast, salt, and sugar with the water and buttermilk in a 5-quart bowl.

See the bubbles? That means the yeast is doing its job.

2) Mix in the flour without kneading. I use a wooden spoon. At the end, you may need to use wet hands to incorporate the last bit of flour.

3) Cover (not airtight) and allow to rest at room temperature until the dough rises and collapses (or flattens on top), approximately 2 hours. After this time period, you can use the dough immediately. If not, put it in the fridge—again, not airtight.

It will rise a lot.

4) When you’re ready to bake, lightly grease a 9x4x3 loaf pan. Dust the surface of the dough with flour and rip off a cantaloupe-sized piece (1 1/2 pound) of dough. Dust that piece with more flour and form it into a ball, then into an oval, and plop it in your loaf pan. It should fill the pan slightly more than half full.

5) Let the dough rise for 40 minutes if it has not been refrigerated. If it has been refrigerated, let it rise for 1 hour and 40 minutes. Then, dust the top with flour and slash it down the center with a serrated knife. Brush the top with melted butter.

6) Preheat your oven to 350 degrees about 15 to 20 minutes before baking time. When it’s preheated, put your loaf in the center of the middle rack and bake for 45 minutes. Remove from the pan and allow to cool completely before slicing.

Yum! I can make a mean PB&J on this bread, I’ll tell you what. Sooo good. This bread is perfect for sandwiches in general, so you should definitely try it out with your favorite sandwich.