Everybody needs a basic white bread recipe in their toolbox. Plain white bread - besides being a fabulous base for grilled cheese sandwiches and French toast – is a great basis for things that are hard to find or expensive in the gluten free world. Bread crumbs, for example, or croûtons.

This bread, in particular, is a good bread for beginning bakers. Nothing fancy about it, this it is very hard to ruin.

1/2 c warm water
1 1/2 T yeast
2 tsp sugar
1 tsp salt
2/3 c sugar
1/4 c oil, shortening or butter
3-4 c warm milk, or milk substitute
4 c Better Batter Gluten Free Flour

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour two 8×4 inch loaf pans.

Dissolve yeast and 2 tsp. sugar in the water in the bowl of your electric mixer. Let stand about 5 minutes.

Add the salt, warm milk or milk substitute, shortening or butter, and 2/3 c sugar and mix well. Add the flour and beat on high speed until the mixture resembles a thick cake batter. Add a little more water if necessary to thin – the result should be in between cake batter and cookie dough in texture – about the thickness of cold cream.

Spoon into prepared pans and let rise about 1/2 hour – 45 minutes or until almost but not quite doubled.

Bake at 350 degrees for 45-55 minutes, checking after 50 minutes. Loaves should be golden brown. Let cool on racks completely before slicing and wrapping.