White Bread Recipe

Quite often the mood comes over me and I start baking my own bread. This fever lasts about two months, and I freeze enough (sliced) to last another two or three months. Meanwhile, the house smells wonderfully of yeast and the bread is better than anything you can buy.

Here is the easiest white bread I’ve ever done. The whole thing also gives you a pretty good upper body workout.

Utensils needed:

Large bowl (7-quart minimum)
4 loaf pans (4x8 inches) preferably non-stick
instant-read thermometer
wide scraper blade
pastry brush (optional)

Ingredients:

2 pks. yeast (or 2 T.)
2 T. salt
½ C. water (105 - 115 degrees)
2 large eggs (room temp.)
1/3 C. honey
12 C. all-purpose flour
3 C. water (120 -125 degrees)
1 C. evaporated milk
¼ C. vegetable oil(room temp.)
3 T. soft butter (optional)

Dissolve yeast in ½ cup water with honey and proof 5 to 8 minutes. In large bowl combine hot water, evaporated milk, oil, and salt. Beat in eggs. Add yeast mixture and 5 cups flour and mix thoroughly, then add flour, 1 cup at a time, until you have a medium dough. You may not require all 12 cups, so use what’s needed of the remaining to keep the board floured and the dough not sticky.

Turn dough onto lightly floured surface and knead lightly, about 3 to 4 minutes, adding flour as needed just to keep dough from barely sticking to hands and board. Rinse bowl, dry, and rub inside with oil. Put in dough and turn until it’s well coated all over. Cover with a towel and let rise in a warm place until doubled in bulk 1-1 1/2hours. Punch down and let rise again, about 30 to 45 minutes.

Heat oven to 350°.

Punch down and turn onto lightly floured surface. Cut into four pieces, shape and place each piece in a lightly oiled non stick loaf pan. Cover and let rise in a warm place until almost doubled in bulk, about 20 minutes.

Bake for 45 to 55 minutes, or until loaves test done. Remove bread from pans to a rack for cooling. Brush tops with butter (optional). If bread begins to darken too much while baking, cover loaves loosely with foil.

Raisin Bread: Mix 2 C. raisins and ½ C. extra honey into dough when first adding flour . At bake time, stretch each piece of dough out, sprinkle 2 to 3 tablespoons cinnamon on each and roll into shape for pan. The cinnamon will be streaky throughout the slices.