This is the loaf of my childhood, colloquially referred to as the Government Loaf. Growing up in South Africa, I distinctly remember this white sandwich bread being sold at every corner store. You could smell it baking from afar, its sweetness permeating the air and causing your mouth to water. It can be devoured in mere seconds, topped with butter, biltong (cured meat) powder or golden syrup.
Instructions
500 grams (4 cups) white bread or all-purpose flour
20 grams (1½ tablespoons) sugar
7 grams (1 heaped teaspoon) fine sea salt
6 grams (1 heaped teaspoon) instant yeast
30 grams (2¼ tablespoons) sunflower oil
270 to 290 grams (11/8 to 1¼ cups) water (lukewarm)
Butter (for brushing the bread tin and finished loaf )
Combine all the dry ingredients in a large bowl and mix well. Add the wet ingredients and work them into a dough by stirring and massaging the ingredients together until no dry flour is visible. The dough should be firm but soft (not dry or hard). Knead the dough briefly until smooth then re- turn it to the mixing bowl. Cover it and allow it to rise for 1 hour.
Keeping the dough inside the bowl, gently fold it in on itself or knead again briefly. Allow the dough to rise for a further hour.
Grease two 8 x 4-inch loaf pan pans with butter (two small 8½-inch Pullman pans or a large Pullman pan will work well)
Place the dough back on your work surface and divide into two equal pieces (if making two small loaves). Using a rolling pin, roll the dough out into a rectangle, with one side as long as the loaf pan you will be using. Roll the dough up into a long and tight cylinder (similar to rolling up the dough for cinnamon buns) and seal the seam.
Place the dough(s) seam-side down in the greased pan(s). Leave it to proof for 60–80 minutes. NOTE: if using loaf pans without lids, lay a sheet of cling film or a plastic freezer bag loosely over the shaped dough for the duration of the final rise and remove the plastic before baking.
Preheat the oven to 380 F.
Bake for 45 to 50 minutes, until golden brown. If the loaf is browning too quickly, carefully lay a sheet of tinfoil over the top of the loaf. If using a Pullman pan, remove the lid after 30 minutes and continue baking for an additional 15 to 20 minutes until golden brown.
Remove the loaf from the oven and brush it with melted butter (optional). Allow the bread to cool on a wire rack.
Recipe by Babette Frances Kourelos from Babette’s Bread, copyright © 2024 by Babette Frances Kourelos. Reprinted with permission of TouchWood Editions.
