Farmhouse White Bread

Name: Farmhouse White Bread
Prep time: 25 min
Cook time: 35 min
Total time: 1 h
Yield: 8 servings
Cuisine: Australian
Ingredients: 550 g strong white bread flour; 7 g instant dried yeast; 1 tsp caster sugar; 10 g Fine sea salt; 150 ml full-cream milk; 230 ml warm water; 30 g Unsalted butter; 15 g melted unsalted butter; 1 tsp Vegetable oil

A golden, soft-crumbed country loaf with a tender crust, baked for hearty sandwiches and breakfast toast across Victorian farm kitchens.

🇦🇺Australia· Victoria

Prep: 25 min
Cook: 35 min
Total: 60 min
Servings: 8
Difficulty: Easy
Calories: 260 kcal

Ingredients

0 of 9 gathered

Servings

550 g strong white bread flour — plus extra for dusting
7 g instant dried yeast — one standard sachet
1 tsp caster sugar — to feed yeast and assist crust browning
10 g Fine sea salt — about 2 level tsp
150 ml full-cream milk — lukewarm, roughly 37 degrees C
230 ml warm water — lukewarm, roughly 37 degrees C
30 g Unsalted butter — softened at room temperature
15 g melted unsalted butter — for brushing the hot crust
1 tsp Vegetable oil — for greasing the bowl and tin

Equipment

•20 x 10 cm loaf tin
•Large mixing bowl
•Measuring scale
•Pastry brush
•Wire cooling rack

Nutrition

Per serving, approximate

Calories: 260 kcal
fat: 5 g
carbs: 45 g
fibre: 2 g
protein: 8 g
calories: 260 kcal

Instructions

1
Lightly grease a 20 x 10 cm loaf tin with vegetable oil.
2
Whisk the bread flour, yeast, caster sugar, and fine salt together in a large mixing bowl.
3
Pour in the warm milk, warm water, and softened butter.
4
Mix with a wooden spoon until a rough, shaggy dough forms and leaves the bowl sides.
5
Tip the dough onto a lightly floured bench and knead for 10 minutes until smooth and elastic.
6
Shape into a ball, place into an oiled bowl, and cover with a clean tea towel.
7
Leave in a warm draught-free spot for 1 hour, or until doubled in size.
8
Gently press out the air, roll the dough tightly into an even log, and place seam-side down into the tin.
9
Cover loosely and let rise for 45 minutes until the dough crowns 2 cm above the tin rim.
10
Preheat your oven to 200 degrees C (180 degrees C fan-forced).
11
Bake on the centre rack for 30 to 35 minutes until deep golden and hollow-sounding when tapped underneath.
12
Turn onto a wire rack, brush the warm top with melted butter, and cool completely before slicing.

Chef's tips

For the softest crust, keep a clean tea towel draped over the loaf while it cools on the wire rack. Ensure liquids are comfortably lukewarm to the touch so you do not kill the yeast. Slicing too early will crush the soft crumb.

Ingredient substitutions

full-cream milk → soy milk or extra warm water for a dairy-free crumb
unsalted butter → mild olive oil or plant-based butter

Storage

Store the cooled loaf in a paper bag or bread box at room temperature for up to four days.

Reheating

Toast thick slices in a toaster or warm the whole loaf in a 160 degrees C oven for 8 minutes.

Common mistakes to avoid

•Using scalding hot water or milk, which kills the yeast and stops rising
•Cutting into the bread while still hot, causing the crumb to turn gummy
•Under-kneading, which leads to a dense, crumbly loaf instead of a light texture

Serving suggestions

Sliced thick and spread with salted butter and local plum jamToasted golden for a farmhouse breakfast with poached eggsUsed as sturdy sandwich bread for roast beef and seeded mustard