Measure out one cup of rice. (One cup dry rice makes about 3.5-4 cups cooked rice.)
Add the rice to your saucepan.
Rinse rice thoroughly, optional.
Pour in two cups cold water.
Add a little butter.
Bring to a boil.
Stir.
Immediately cover the pot and reduce heat to low.
Simmer covered for 20 minutes (do not remove the cover or stir, as this will let the steam escape).
Remove the pot from the burner and let it sit covered to rest for five minutes.
Open the lid, and fluff rice with a fork.
Ta-da! Recipe-ready rice. Scoop it on out of the saucepan with your favorite wooden utensil, and enjoy right away — or let cool a bit then store refrigerated in a tightly sealed plastic container for use throughout the week.
Notes
Some people like to throw in a dash of salt; I don’t generally do so because of the saltiness of the dishes that we tend to serve or make with cooked rice. If you’re planning on enjoying your rice plain, though, you can try cooking it up with broth instead of water to add more flavor and interest.