White Pan Bread

White pan bread is the workhorse of home baking: a plain, tender sandwich loaf with a soft crumb and a light golden crust. This bread machine version trades hands-on shaping for total convenience. Everything goes into the pan, you press start, and a few hours later you have a warm loaf sliced thin enough for grilled cheese or thick enough for French toast.

Five tablespoons of melted butter is more fat than a basic French loaf, and it matters. Butter shortens the gluten strands, yielding a softer crumb that stays tender for two or three days instead of going stale overnight.

Unbleached all-purpose flour is the right choice here over bread flour. Bread flour’s higher protein gives too much chew for a soft sandwich loaf. All-purpose splits the difference.

Kitchen Tips

• Water temperature matters. Around 110°F (43°C), warm to the touch but not hot. Hot water kills yeast; cold slows fermentation too much for the machine’s timing.
• Add ingredients in the order your machine specifies. Most want liquids first, then flour, with salt separated from yeast until mixing starts.
• Check the dough ball 5 minutes into kneading. If it looks dry and crumbly add a tablespoon of water; too wet and sticky, add a tablespoon of flour.
• Cool the loaf on a rack for at least 20 minutes before slicing. Slicing warm bread crushes the crumb.

Variations

• Swap 1 cup of flour for whole wheat for a half-and-half loaf.
• Stir in 2 tablespoons of honey in place of sugar for a sweeter, softer crumb.
• Add 2 tablespoons of dried milk powder for a richer, bakery-style texture.