A beautifully soft homemade white sandwich bread, with a touch of extra flavor from buttermilk. This bread is fantastic for sandwiches, toasting, or right out of the oven. With added ginger to make it stay fresh longer!
In an electric stand mixer fitted with the dough hook, combine the yeast, ginger, sugar, and warm water.
Allow to get puffed up and foamy (about 5 minutes).
Combine the buttermilk, honey, salt and baking soda together, then add it to the yeast mixture.
Add 3 cups of the flour and mix until smooth.
With the mixer on low, add the melted butter and remaining flour.
Knead on low until the dough becomes smooth and elastic, about 8-10 minutes.
Rise
Remove from mixer and turn out onto a floured surface.
Grease a large bowl and add the dough to the bowl.
Cover, and rise for 1.5 hours (it needs to double in size)
Punch down and shape
Punch down and divide into 2.
Shape into loaves, and add to 2 buttered bread tins (or glass pans).
2nd Rise
Cover with a clean kitchen towel and leave somewhere warm for about 30 minutes.
Bake
Preheat the oven to 400F.
Cover the loaves loosely with tinfoil to prevent browning too fast, and bake for 30 minutes.
Remove the loaves from the oven and brush with the extra butter (if using)
Cool, Slice, Devour
Allow to cool completely on a wire rack (covered with a kitchen towel)
Slice and devour
Notes
Bread Machine:
Make the doughAdd the yeast, ginger, sugar and water to the bowl of your bread machine.Combine the buttermilk, honey, salt and baking soda together and add to the bread machine.Add 3 cups of the flour, and put the machine on the “dough” cycle”Add the melted butter and the remaining flour.Let the machine complete the cycle.Punch down and shapeRemove dough from machine, punch down and divide into 2.Shape into loaves and add to 2 buttered bread tins (or glass pans).RiseCover with a clean kitchen towel and leave somewhere warm for about 30 minutes.BakePreheat the oven to 400F. Cover the loaves loosely with tinfoil to prevent browning too fast, and bake for 30 minutes.Cool, slice, devourRemove the loaves from the oven and brush with the extra butter (if using)Allow to cool completely on a wire rack (covered with a kitchen towel).Slice, devour.