She hasn’t tried it yet (due to the whole living 1,500 miles away thing), but I feel fairly certain in saying that she’d approve of this white bread. Because the pesky things that keep us from buying that American classic are the main reason I like to bake my own bread in the first place: that string of ingredients you can’t pronounce, let alone identify. I like to limit the unnecessary chemicals in my life. I know, I’m weird.

But when white bread consists of flour, salt, yeast, a pinch of butter, and little else, it’s a bit hard to demean. Now I realize there’s a noticeable absence of those all-important whole grains here, but give me a break. I’m entitled to white bread at least once in my life.

Boulder’s Best White Bread
Pie in the Sky: Successful Baking at High Altitudes

This might just be the perfect bread. It’s soft and delicious, with a just-crisp-enough crust, and makes a great sandwich. I’ll admit that it’s a bit time-consuming, but it’s great for those days when you’re going to stay home and do chores anyway. There’s no reason (at least that I can think of) why bread dough can’t rise while you mop the floors or do the laundry. Plus it’ll make your house smell incredible, if that helps.

Makes 1 loaf

2 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast
1/4 cup warm water
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup water
1 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted, or vegetable oil
1 teaspoon salt
2 1/4 to 2 1/2 cups unbleached bread flour, or as needed

For glaze:

2 tablespoons milk or 1 egg beaten with 1 teaspoon water

In a cup or small bowl, combine the yeast, warm water, and sugar. Stir, and set aside for 3 or 4 minutes, until the mixture bubbles up.

Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, combine the milk, the 1/2 cup water, butter or oil, and salt and set over low heat until it feels quite warm (about 120°F) and bubbles just begin to show around the edges.

Pour the warm liquid into a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer and let it cool until you can touch it comfortably (about 110°F). When you are sure it is not too hot, stir in about 2 cups of the flour and then the yeast mixture. Beat hard for several minutes using a sturdy spoon or the paddle attachment. You will have a thick, slightly soupy mass with a few lumps. With a spoon or with the paddle on low speed, gradually stir in another 1/4 cup of flour. Continue to mix, adding 1 to 2 tablespoons more flour as needed, until the dough begins to come together and looks stretchy.

You can knead the dough with the dough hook attachment or with your hands. To knead with the mixer, switch to the dough hook. With the mixer on the lowest speed, add another 2 or 3 tablespoons flour and work the dough for about 5 minutes. As the flour is incorporated, continue to add more, a tablespoon at a time as needed, until the dough is no longer sticky, has pulled away from the sides of the bowl, and looks fairly smooth. Scrape the dough onto a lightly floured counter and knead it for 3 to 4 minutes by hand, working in a little more flour only if it is still sticky. The total flour used will range from 2 1/4 to 2 3/4 cups, depending on your altitude and humidity. Form the dough into a ball.

To knead by hand, sprinkle 2 or 3 tablespoons of flour onto the counter and turn out the dough. Flour your hands, fold the dough in half toward you, and push it away with the heels of your hands, then give it a quarter turn and repeat. Reflour the surface if necessary to prevent sticking, and continue kneading for 5 to 8 minutes, or until the dough looks smooth and satiny and no longer feels sticky to the touch. As you work, use a bench scraper or broad spatula to scrape any dough off the counter and back into the dough mass. Form the dough into a ball.

At this point, if you wish, you can refrigerate the dough overnight in a lightly oiled bowl with a plate and heavy weight on top (this counts as the first rise). The next day, remove the dough from the bowl, set it on a sheet of oiled plastic wrap or foil, and bring it to room temperature (3 to 4 hours) before giving it the second rise as described below.

Alternatively, you can give the dough its first rise right away (which I did). Put about a tablespoon of oil in a large ziploc bag or large clean bowl, add the dough, and turn it once to coat with oil. Seal the bag or cover the bowl with oiled plastic wrap and a tea towel. The best location for rising is a warm spot free from drafts, about 75°F to 85°F. I used my oven (turned off) with a 13″ x 9″ pan full of hot water placed on the lowest rack.

Let the dough rise for 60 to 90 minutes, or until nearly double in bulk; you will be able to poke two fingers into the top and have the marks remain. Once the dough has risen, punch it down to remove large air bubbles, turn it out onto a lightly floured counter, and knead once or twice. Return to the oiled container for the second rise, about 60 minutes. While the dough rises, coat your loaf pan with nonstick spray.

Once the dough has risen again, shape the loaf. Turn the dough out onto the counter and knead a few times, then pat and press it into a flattened rectangle about 8 by 11 inches. Working from one short end, roll the dough up into a log about 3 1/2 by 8 inches, and pinch the seam and ends to seal. Set the dough seam side down in the prepared loaf pan, cover lightly with oiled plastic wrap, and set to rise in a warm location (not the oven, which will now be preheating). The dough should rise about 45 minutes, or until slightly less than double in bulk.

While the dough rises, position the oven rack at the center of the oven, set a pan of hot water on the lowest rack, and preheat to 375°F.

When the dough has risen, use a pastry or basting brush to coat the top of the loaf either with milk or egg glaze, then bake for 30 minutes or until the top is a rich golden brown. Tip the loaf out of the pan and rap your knuckle on the bottom; it should sound hollow. Set the bread on a wire rack to cool completely.

High-Altitude Notes: For baking at 5,000 feet, rise times should occur as follows: 55 minutes for the first rise, 40-45 minutes for the second rise, and 20 minutes or until about one-third larger for the third rise. Bake at 400°F for 15 minutes, then at 375°F for 30 minutes.