This basic white bread dough is baked in a loaf pan. It is suitable to be used for making sandwiches and canapés or croûtes and croûtons.

250 ml water or milk
25 g butter or 1½ tbsp oil (eg turnip rape, sunflower or corn oil)
550 - 600 ml wheat flour
25 g fresh yeast
½ tsp salt
1 tsp sugar or honey
(½ tbsp crushed caraway seeds, anise seeds or fennel seeds)

Place the cold water or milk, the melted butter or oil, the flour and the crumbled yeast in a mixing bowl of a heavy-duty tabletop mixer fitted with a dough hook. Knead for 13 minutes, add salt, sugar or honey (and the spices) and knead for another 2 minutes. (For unflavoured bread, omit the crushed spices.)

Now the dough should be smooth and elastic. Place it in a large bowl, cover tightly, either with a damp cloth or lightly oiled plastic wrap, and leave to rise until doubled in size.

Butter a deep, about 1½ litre rectangular loaf pan. Knead the dough gently in the bowl, pour on a floured work surface and form into an elongated, smooth loaf to fit inside the loaf pan. Place the dough in the pan and sprinkle a layer of flour on the surface. Cover the pan tightly with plastic wrap or a damp towel and let the dough rise until doubled in size.

Bake the loaf at 200 °C for about 30 - 40 minutes in the lower part of the oven. Cover the surface with a piece of foil, if it is getting too brown. Let the bread cool for a few minutes before turning it out gently on a wire rack to cool, loosely covered with a towel. Use a knife to loosen the bread from the pan if necessary.

Recipe source: adapted from "Vuokaleipä", Ihatsu, A. et al., ed. (1993) Otavan suuri keittokirja. Keuruu: Otava.