basic soft white sandwich loaf bread
make the sponge
in a mixer bowl or other large bowl , combine the flour , water , honey , and instant yeast
whisk until very smooth , to incorporate air , about 2 minutes
the sponge will be the consistency of a thick batter , scrape down the sides of the bowl , and cover with plastic wrap
make the flour mixture and add to the sponge
in a medium bowl , whisk together the flour , dry milk , and instant yeast
sprinkle this on top of the sponge and cover tightly with plastic wrap
allow it to ferment for 1 to 4 hours at room temperature
mix the dough
hand method
add the salt and butter to the bowl and , with a wooden spoon or with your hand , stir until all the flour is moistened
knead the dough in the bowl until it comes together , then scrape it onto a lightly floured counter
knead the dough for 5 minutes , enough to develop the gluten structure a little , adding as little of the reserved flour as possible to keep the dough from sticking
use a bench scraper to scrape the dough and gather it together as you knead it
at this point , it will be very sticky
cover it with an inverted bowl and allow it to rest for 20 minutes
knead the dough for another 5 minutes or until it is very smooth and elastic
it should still be tacky enough to cling slightly to your fingers a little
if the dough is still very sticky , however , add some of the remaining reserved flour , or a little extra
shape the dough and let it rise
turn the dough out onto a lightly floured counter and cut it in half
shape each piece into a loaf
the exact size is not important at this point
dimple the dough with your fingers to deflate any large bubbles
fold over the right side of the dough to a little past the center
fold over hte left side of the dough to overlap it slightly
press the center overlap section with the side of your hand to seal the dough
starting at the top end of the dough , roll it over three or four times , until it reaches the bottom edge of the dough: with each roll , press with your thumbs to seal it and at the same time push it away from you slightly to tighten the outer skin
as you roll and press , the dough will become wider
if it is not as long as the pan , place both hands close together on top of the dough and , rolling back and fourth , gradually work your way towards the ends , gently stretching the dough
for the most even shape , it is important to keep a tight skin on the surface of the dough and not to tear it
if you want the edges of the loaf to be smooth , tuck the sides under
place the loaves in the prepared loaf pans
the dough will be about 1 / 2 inch from the top of the pans
cover them with a large container , or cover them loosely with oiled plastic wrap , and allow to rise until the center is about 1 inch above the sides of the pan , 1 1 / 2 to 2 hours
when the dough is pressed with a finger
preheat the oven
preheat the oven to 350f 45 minutes before baking
have an oven shelf at the lowest level and place a baking stone or a baking sheet on it , and a cast-iron skillet or sheet pan on the floor of the oven , before preheating
bake the bread
quickly but gently set the pans on the hot baking stone or hot baking sheet
toss 1 / 2 cup of ice cubes into the pan beneath and immediately shut the door
bake for 50 minutes or until medium golden brown and a skewer inserted in the middle comes out clean
halfway through baking , turn the pans around for even baking
remove from oven and let cool on a wire rack