Classic Butter Crust Bread

The thought of having some plain white bread with homemade jam for a simple nice breakfast, finds me looking for a simple, fuss-free white bread that is very easy and quick to make. Of course, for quick and easy bread, I always find myself reaching out to one of my favourite bread machine books, "The Artisan Bread Machine". And again, this recipe from Judith Fertig is a winner. This book never fails to amaze me with the recipes that I've tried. They have all turned out great and this is one of them.

The recipe is meant for the bread machine, from the mixing right up to the baking. But I have always prefer to finish the baking in the oven, as I hate to have the bread machine paddle stuck into the otherwise perfect looking bread! So for this, I have done what I usually do, mix the dough using the bread machine, remove the dough after the first rising, shape it and leave it to rise in a greased loaf pan, and proceed with the baking in the oven. 

This is one lovely bread. It has a soft crust and the bread texture is so, so soft and very tasty, good enough to eat it on its own. The only changes I've made was to replace the buttermilk with full cream milk, and to reduce the salt slightly to 1 teaspoon (original is 1-1/2 teaspoon). 

Can you see how soft and moist this bread is?  Perfect when you need some plain simple white bread that is a breeze to make. It stays soft on the next day, and I finished the last two pieces on the third day, and it stays just as soft. Very nice eaten with homemade jam. A definite keeper recipe. Make one today, you would be glad you did! 

I'm sharing this with :

See Ya In The Gumbo hosted by Ms. enPlace
Full Plate Thursday hosted by Miz Helen Country Cottage

This is linked to Cook-Your-Books, hosted by Joyce from Kitchen Flavours

Classic Butter Crust Bread
(adapted from "The Artisan Bread Machine", Judith Fertig)
Makes one 1-1/2 lb (750gm) loaf
3 tbsp granulated sugar
1-1/2 tsp salt (I use 1 tsp)
1 cup lukewarm buttermilk (I use milk)
3 tbsp butter, softened
2-1/2 cups all-purpose flour (I use bread flour)
1-1/2 tsp instant or bread machine yeast

Topping
2 tbsp butter, melted

To make in the bread machine

Add sugar, salt, buttermilk and butter to the bread pan. Spoon flour on top of liquid. Add yeast.

Select the Basic/White Cycle and the Light Crust setting and press Start.

Topping : After the final rise and just before baking, press Pause. Raise the lid, cut a 1/2-inch (1 cm) slash down the length or across the top of the loaf and brush with melted butter. Close the lid and press Start to continue the Cycle.

Kitchen Flavours notes :

To bake in the oven : Place sugar, salt, milk and butter to the bread pan. Spoon flour on top of liquid. Add yeast. Select Basic Dough Cycle, press Start. (which takes 1 hours 35 minutes inclusive of first rising). When machine beeps at end of cycle, remove dough and place on lightly floured work surface. Roll out dough to the length of the loaf pan, roll it up, tuck the ends under, and place in the greased 8-1/2"x4-1/2" loaf pan, cover loosely with greased cling wrap and leave to rise until doubled in size. Remove cling wrap, make a slash down the length of the dough, brush with melted butter and bake at 175C for 30 minutes. Remove and cool completely on wire rack.

#51/100