Easy White Mountain Bread

sliced loaf of Publix white mountain bread.

4.93 from 13 votes

This simple and delicious recipe for white mountain bread is perfect for beginners. Mix up one loaf of fragrant yeast bread that’s so good your family will think it’s from an artisan bakery! It only takes flour, salt, yeast, butter, honey, and water to make this delectable sandwich bread.

Prep Time20

Cook Time30

Proving Time3 30

Total Time4 20

Servings: slices

Calories: 190kcal

Author: Brooke & Emma

Ingredients

Instructions

Making the Dough

Autolyse: Place the flour in a large bowl and add the salt and yeast on opposite sides of the bowl. Stir in each with your finger. Mix in the butter, honey, and water, making sure all the flour is picked up, then cover the dough and let it rest for 30 minutes. The dough will be very dry at this stage.
Stretch & Fold 1: Wet your hand, scoop it under the dough, and pull it up, then fold the dough back over itself. Turn the bowl 90 degrees and do another stretch and fold. Repeat until you've done 4 stretch and folds and have gone all the way around the bowl. Cover the dough and let it rest for 30 minutes.
Stretch & Fold 2-3: Do the stretch and fold process two more times, letting the dough rest for 30 minutes between each set. The dough will change dramatically during this process, becoming smooth and stretchy.
Bulk Fermentation: Shape the dough into a smooth ball, cover it, and let it rise at room temperature for 45-60 minutes, or until about doubled in size.

Shaping

Prepping the Banneton: Lightly spritz a banneton (cane proving basket) with water and sprinkle with flour. Alternatively, use a generously greased and floured bowl.
Knocking Back: Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and punch it down, shaping it roughly into a rectangle.
Shaping: Fold the rectangle in thirds, like a letter. Flatten it again into a rectangle and fold into thirds again, then shape roughly into a circle. Cup your hands around the loaf and scrape the dough across the work surface to tighten the skin on the loaf. Turn the loaf and repeat until you have a nicely shaped round loaf.
Preheat: Turn the oven to 425°F and slide a baking stone (or two stacked cookie sheets) into the oven to preheat.
Proving: Place the loaf seam side up in the banneton, cover, and let it rise at room temperature until springy to the touch and not quite doubled in size, about 45-60 minutes.

Baking

Scoring: Turn the risen loaf out onto a sheet of parchment paper, then use a lame (or sharp serrated knife) to score a deep X onto the top of the loaf.
Baking: After 45 minutes of preheating, the oven should now be at least 400°F inside. Slide the loaf and paper onto a cake lifter and transfer it to the hot stone in the oven. Bake for 30-40 minutes, or until the loaf has an internal temperature of at least 200°F. Cover it with foil if the crust starts getting dark.
Cooling & Serving: Let the loaf cool completely on a wire rack before slicing and serving, approximately 1-2 hours. Enjoy this fresh bread!

Notes

Don't substitute all-purpose for the bread flour. Bread flour contains more gluten than all-purpose, resulting in a higher rise and more chewy texture.
We wouldn't recommend baking the loaf in a Dutch oven or covered with a metal bowl while baking. Baking the loaf in such a steamy environment will make the crust too thick and hard.
Don't want to have a round loaf? After the first rise, punch it down and pat into a rectangle the width of a loaf pan. Roll it up tightly, pinching the seam to seal and place inside the pan. Proceed with the recipe as written--omitting the part about the baking stone.
Have leftovers? Eat within 24 hours of baking for best freshness, or seal in a zip-top freezer bag and freeze for up to 1 month.

Nutrition