Food Nirvana has contained only a few bread recipes for the past ten years (2010-2020). Recently I expanded my interests to include simple bread making ... sort of the opposite of my earlier interest in the more complicated procedure for making Sesame Semolina Batard. Why? There is usually an easy answer, and that is the case this time.

As of March 2020 many of us are self isolating to avoid the COVID-19 virus, which is often fatal for older folks, particularly those with existing health problems, like my sweetheart, Peggy. Thus, I have laid in supplies to allow us to self isolate for up to six months. Is that overkill? Yes, of course, but there was no guide up front to predict the extent and the duration of the timing of the pandemic. Yes, I am conservative, and I make allowance for the possibility (albeit small) of extended periods of unsafe exposure in public places.

The above having been said, the circumstances were perfect for extending the recipe range of Food Nirvana, so I ordered and received a bread machine to make bread. And note that I am also comfortable with making bread by manual procedures and baking it in my oven, as well as making it using my new machine.

My inventory of flour and other pertinent ingredients was/is extensive. I've been in the perfect environment to use, further develop, and finally record good bread recipes for what we can make at home. I should also mention that, having started down this path, I acquired a few different encyclopedias of regular and bread machine bread making.

Why do anything worth doing half way? It is very important to mention using a high quality bread flour, like the King Arthur® brand. It is equally important to use the vital wheat gluten to achieve the perfect level of moisture, chewiness, flavor and tenderness of the bread. I bought Anthony's® Vital Wheat Gluten via Amazon®.

Note that I am not attempting to become any type of bread expert. My intent is simple but very important. First, I want to make excellent white bread, reliably, such that I do not miss buying that product from bakeries or supermarkets. For the moment, that is wise. For the future, it is a matter of quality of life. Perhaps later I will decide to make other types of bread.

If you follow the steps and ingredients listed in this recipe you may well stop buying commercial loaves of white bread. There is a massive difference in quality and level of enjoyment in eating home made white bread that results from this recipe, which calls for using a bread maker or bread machine that mixes the dough ingredients and does all other steps through baking.

The steps for using typical bread machines at home are virtually identical. Put in the ingredients in a specific order. Turn on the machine. Wait. Ultimately, remove the finished bread and allow it to cool to near room temperature. Then, and only then, can you slice it with a serrated edge knife or electric knife without fear of the soft loaf collapsing. Trust me, it is worth the wait. Slather a slightly warm piece with soft butter and indulge. You will be wearing a very happy smile.

Ingredients: (makes one, 1 1/2 pound loaf of white bread)

1 1/3 cups of water

1 tbsp. of vegetable oil

1 tbsp. of sugar

3 cups of King Arthur® bread flour (16.5 ounces by weight ... use a kitchen scale and be precise)

1 1/2 tbsp. of instant potato flakes

3 tbsp. of nonfat dry milk powder

1 tbsp. of vital wheat gluten

1 1/4 tsp. of Kosher salt

2 1/2 tsp. of Instant Bread Machine yeast (or other active dry yeast)

Directions:

Put the water into the bread machine pan.

Add the vegetable oil and the sugar and the salt to the bread machine pan.

Add the flour to the bread machine pan.

Add the gluten on top of the flour, not into the water.

Add the instant potato flakes and the nonfat dry milk powder on top of the flour and gluten.

Sprinkle the yeast over the top of the dry ingredients.

Close the lid and start the bread machine, setting it for a medium dark crust and a 1 1/2 pound loaf.

Go away for a few hours until the machine beeps, indicating the bread has been baked.

Dump the bread out of the bread maker pan on to a wood cutting board and let it cool to room temperature.

You can store the cooled loaf of bread in a one gallon Ziploc® freezer bag to keep it fresh until you use it.

To use the bread, cut slices of it to the thickness you want with a serrated edge knife or an electric knife

Enjoy in whatever way you decide to use the sliced bread.