Basic White Bread

Basic White Bread

2 c of milk
1/4 c of shortening/fat
1 Tbsp sugar
1/4 c of warm water
2 1/4 tsp active-dry yeast
1 tsp salt
6 or so c of flour

1. Scald milk, just heat the milk up until you see little bubbles forming around the pot.  Remove from heat.  Add the shortening and the sugar.  Stir to dissolve.  Let the milk cool, if it's too hot it will kill the yeast.

2. While waiting for the milk to cool, sprinkle the yeast over top of the 1/4 c of warm water.  Let that stand for 5-10 minutes.  Once the yeast has pretty much dissolved, stir with a fork.

3. Add the milk to a large bowl.  Pour in the yeast mixture.  Stir.  Add two cups of flour and mix until the flour is no long clumpy.  Continue to add flour until the dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl. 

4. Turn the dough out onto a floured surface.  Keep a cup of flour nearby.  Knead the dough with your hands.  You don't have to be rough with it, but don't be wimpy either.  Your arms should be getting exercise.  Add flour if needed and continue to knead dough until it is smooth and just beyond the sticky stage. 

5. Grease a large bowl.  Put the dough into the greased bowl, turning once.  Cover the bowl with a tea towel and put in a warm place.  I usually put mine in the oven with the oven light turned out.  I turn the oven light on when I begin scalding the milk.  Allow dough to rise until it's doubled in bulk, at least an hour, but maybe more.

6. Once the dough has risen, remove from it's warm place.  Punch dough down and divide evenly into two pieces.  Roll dough out in a rectangle.  Make sure that the rectangle is a bit longer than your bread pan.  Roll up lengthwise like you would a jelly roll or cinnamon buns.  Pinch the creases together.  Pinch the ends and fold under the dough.  It should look like a log. 

7. Put the shaped dough into greased bread pans.  Put back into a warm place and cover with tea towel.  Let rise again until doubled in size, about an hour.

8.  Heat oven to 375C.  Make sure your oven rack is the second from the bottom.  Place bread pans in the middle of the oven.  Bake the bread for 30 minutes or until golden.

9. Remove from oven and let cool in the pans on a wire rack for 5 minutes.  Remove from bread pans and let cool on the wire rack.

Enjoy warm with some butter!

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