On 2005-09-14, Vox Humana > wrote:
[...]
> The advice you got was sound, but here is my take. If you want fluffy bread
> with an even crumb, you have to do the opposite of what is recommended for
> "good" bread. I would use all-purpose flour, use a generous amount of
> sugar, add some bland oil, use lots of yeast, let it rise in a warm place,
> let the formed loaf nearly over-proof before baking. I know that people
> will be horrified at that advice, but it does produce a product that is
> fairly close to "Wonder Bread." It is the advice I give people who want
> recreate the rolls they used to eat in the school cafeteria.
>
> For about 450gm of flour (3 1/2 cups or a pound), I might use two
> packets or a heaping tablespoon of instant yeast, two teaspoons of
> salt, two tablespoon sugar, three tablespoons vegetable oil, and
> enough rather warm milk (115F - 120F) to produce a slightly sticky
> dough. I knead in the food processor or stand mixer, but you could
> do it by hand. Round-up the dough and let it rise in an oiled bowl
> in a warm location until double - about an hour. Deflate, form into
> a loaf or rolls, and let rise until double again. Bake at 400 for
> 35-540 minutes for the loaf and at 350 for 25-30 minutes for the
> rolls.
[...]

That's a very good recipe for "very bad" bread, at least the American
version of it, and the OP should note that even if this is the kind of
bread you want to make, having two rising periods (as in the recipe
above) is a good idea. Even if the rises are warm and quick, it will
be better than just having a single rise. Using fast-acting yeast and
warm liquid, I would be surprised if the first rise took even an hour
-- probably closer to 45 minutes. The second rise, after shaping,
should be about that long as well. This will depend on lots of
factors, of course, so let the timer be a reminder only, not a master.

The OP should also note that "Bake at 400" means "Bake at 400F", which
is about 200C.

> The bread will be light and bland with a uniform, fine crumb and
> have a yeasty flavor and soft crust. It will be the antithesis of
> artisan bread.

But don't feel bad about making it. Fresh-baked commercial-style
bread made at home can still be better than the commercially-baked
version you get in the store, and it's not much effort, so it's still
worthwhile. It ought to be cheaper, too.

--
Randall