Basic Sponge White Bread Recipe

Sponge white bread is a plain white loaf made in two stages. Half of the flour is first beaten with all of the water and the yeast into a thick batter, the sponge, and left to ferment for an hour. Only then are the salt, sugar, butter and the rest of the flour added and the dough kneaded by hand on a floured board.

The head start pays off in several ways. The yeast multiplies in the loose, salt-free batter, so the later rises are quick and even. The flour in the sponge is fully hydrated before kneading begins, which makes the dough easier to handle, and the extra fermentation time gives a plain loaf more flavor and a crumb that stays soft a little longer.

The recipe makes two loaves in 8 1/2 x 4 1/2-inch pans from 6 cups of flour, and needs no mixer. For a deeper flavor, the sponge can be made the night before with less yeast and kept in the refrigerator (see the notes). The same dough can also be shaped into rolls; for a richer bun dough, see these homemade burger buns.

Basic Sponge White Bread

Two loaves of soft white sandwich bread made with the sponge method: a one-hour yeast batter, then a hand-kneaded dough, baked at 375°F for 30 to 35 minutes.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 30 minutes mins

Cook Time 35 minutes mins

Sponge and rising time 2 hours hrs 45 minutes mins

Total Time 4 hours hrs 50 minutes mins

Servings: 2 loaves

Course: Bread

Cuisine: American

Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients

  

Sponge

• 2 cups warm water 100 to 110°F
• 2 1/4 teaspoons (1 packet) active dry yeast
• 3 cups (360 g) unbleached all-purpose or bread flour, spooned and leveled

Dough

• 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
• 2 1/2 teaspoons fine sea salt
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter softened, plus more for the bowl and pans
• 3 cups (360 g) unbleached all-purpose or bread flour, spooned and leveled, plus up to 1/4 cup (30 g) for kneading

Method

 

Make the sponge

1. Pour the 2 cups warm water into a large mixing bowl. Sprinkle the yeast over it, stir, and let it stand for 5 minutes until the yeast has dissolved.
2. Add the 3 cups of flour for the sponge and beat with a wooden spoon for about 2 minutes, until the batter is smooth and stretchy.
3. Cover the bowl with a plate or plastic wrap and leave it in a warm place for 1 hour. The sponge is ready when it has roughly doubled and the surface is covered with bubbles.

Make the dough

1. Stir the sponge down. Add the 2 tablespoons sugar, 2 1/2 teaspoons salt and 3 tablespoons softened butter and stir them in.
2. Add the remaining 3 cups of flour, about a cup at a time, stirring until the dough becomes too stiff for the spoon and pulls away from the side of the bowl.
3. Turn the dough out onto a floured board. Knead for 8 to 10 minutes, pushing the dough away with the heel of the hand, folding it back and giving it a quarter turn each time. Dust the board with only as much of the extra 1/4 cup flour as needed to stop sticking. The dough is ready when it is smooth, springy and no longer sticky.
4. Shape the dough into a ball, put it in a buttered bowl and turn it once to coat. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, 45 to 60 minutes.

Shape and bake

1. Butter two 8 1/2 x 4 1/2-inch loaf pans.
2. Press the dough down to deflate it and divide it into two equal pieces. Pat each piece into a rectangle about 8 inches wide, roll it up tightly from a short side, pinch the seam closed and set it seam side down in a pan.
3. Cover the pans loosely and let the loaves rise until the dough crowns about 1 inch above the rims, 35 to 45 minutes. Meanwhile, heat the oven to 375°F.
4. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, until the loaves are deep golden brown and sound hollow when tapped on the bottom, or until an instant-read thermometer in the center reads 190 to 200°F.
5. Turn the loaves out of the pans at once and cool them completely on a wire rack, at least 1 hour, before slicing.

Notes

Instant yeast can be used in the same amount; stir it straight into the sponge with the flour. Rising times may be slightly shorter.

Overnight sponge: for a fuller flavor, make the sponge the evening before with only 1/4 teaspoon of the yeast and save the rest of the packet (about 2 teaspoons) for the dough; a whole packet would over-ferment the sponge during a long rest. Mix the sponge as directed, leave it covered at room temperature for 1 to 2 hours, until the first bubbles appear, then refrigerate it for 8 to 16 hours. Next day, let it stand at room temperature for 1 hour. It will be bubbly and may have risen and sunk back, which is fine. Stir in the saved yeast with the sugar, salt and butter (dissolve active dry yeast in 2 tablespoons of warm water first) and continue with the recipe; the rising times stay about the same.

For a softer, thinner crust, brush the tops of the hot loaves with a little butter as soon as they come out of the pans.

For rolls, divide half of the dough into 8 pieces, shape into balls, let rise on a greased baking sheet for about 30 minutes and bake at 375°F for 15 to 18 minutes, until golden brown and 190°F in the center.

Keep the cooled bread in a bag at room temperature for 2 to 3 days. The second loaf freezes well, whole or sliced, for up to 3 months.