Recipe: A perfect white loaf using a bread machine

Sometimes life is simply so hectic that bread making has to take a back seat and on those occasions I reach for the bread machine. 

This is a very simple recipe that proves that white bread from a bread machine can be just as delicious as a more complex loaf made by hand.  I wanted to create a tasty loaf that was perfect for toasting, yet was soft and fluffy enough to make a good sandwich. 

I achieved this by using organic white flour from Shipton Mill, a generous dollop of golden syrup (to aid toasting) and some butter to soften the crumb.

Dry Ingredients:

• 225g strong white bread flour
• 225g plain white flour
• 1 1/4 tsp dried instant yeast
• 1tsp fine sea salt

Wet Ingredients:

• 285g water
• 15g golden syrup
• 20g soft butter, cut into small cubes (preferably President or Lurpak)

Put the ingredients into your bread machine in the order appropriate to your machine and set to the basic white setting for a 750g loaf and use the light crust setting.

When it’s baked remove from the bread pan and wrap in a tea towel while it cools - this helps to keep the crust soft.