Forming Dough Rounds

Perfect dough deserves a perfect shape. Forming smooth and shapely dough rounds is one of the most important skills a baker learns. Dough rounds are the basic form used in a wide variety of baked goods like dinner rolls, pizza crusts, bagels, and monkey bread. 1. Forming dough properly accomplishes two things: It stretches the thin sheet of gluten on the outside of the round to form an attractive spherical shape for the loaf or rolls. It tightens the gluten strands within the dough. Loaves that lack this structure will be dense and heavy rather than light and airy. The goal of this method is to form a very tight, smooth, and round ball. 2. We are using dough made from the recipe for Bagels II, the dough has already risen once. The size the dough must be portioned into varies from one recipe to another, so be sure to doublecheck the recipe you are following to ensure you portion the dough correctly. The recipe we are following calls for the portion size to be 5 ounces. This forming method can apply to dough weighing from 1 ounce to 1 pound. 3. Take two ends of the dough and fold them into the middle; repeat 2 or 3 times. In essence, you are turning the dough inside out. The dough will be noticeably tighter. 4. One side of the dough will be perfectly smooth (except for a possible small carbon dioxide blister, which is good), the other side will look like a seam of dough closing in on itself. Place the ball seam-side down on the work surface. With the palm of your hand against the smooth side of the dough, move the ball around in circles on the work surface. Keep as little flour as possible on the work surface, as some friction is required for the dough to stretch. The non-smooth end needs to be in constant contact with the work surface. Be careful not to use too much force and tear the outside of the round; too much pressure will weaken the structure of the dough. The act of moving your hands in circles will cause the seam to close and the smooth side to stretch, forming a perfect sphere. If another proofing needs to be done before baking, set the rounds down on a greased tray or the work surface before baking. 5. Another more complicated way to form dough rounds is to exert pressure with your palm when rolling. This extra pressure will make the dough even tighter but requires a lot of practice to avoid over-working the dough. Begin acclimating yourself to this process by rolling one of the balls with one hand the first couple of tries, then switch to the other hand a few rounds down the road. Study the rounds that you exerted extra pressure on and judge whether you have done a successful job. After both hands feel comfortable and you feel you are not exerting too much pressure on the dough, try rolling two rounds at once. 6. Once all of the dough pieces have been formed into rounds, set them on a floured or greased tray to be proofed once again. To keep them from drying out and forming a skin, cover the rounds with a slightly damp towel or plastic wrap.

Kneading Dough
Kneading dough gives you a loaf of bread that's soft, chewy, and delicious. 1. Place your dough on a well-floured work surface. Grab the side of the dough furthest away from you and fold it toward yourself. 2. Fold the dough in half and use your body weight to push the dough into itself. The beginning of the kneading process might require a lot of flour. Be generous to start, but try not to add more than the dough can easily incorporate, or you will throw off the flour-yeast-water-salt ratio. 3. Give the dough a quarter turn (90 degrees). Grab the other side and fold it in half. Again, with a lot of weight behind it, push the newly folded half into itself. Repeat this process until the dough is smooth, silky, and elastic, about ten minutes or more. Don't worry about over-kneading your bread when you're kneading it by hand--you'd have to really overwork it to break down the gluten structure. Certain flours will make your bread more dense, no matter how much you knead it. Rye flour, for example, doesn't contain gluten proteins, so most rye bread recipes contain wheat flour for structure. Whole wheat flours are high in protein, but the bran can interfere with the gluten structure, making many 100% whole wheat breads fairly heavy textured. 4. If you're adding raisins, nuts, or olives to the dough, work them in now. A fully developed dough should be very smooth, with small air bubbles just below the surface of the skin. When you've finished kneading, shape the dough into a loose ball. Place the dough in an oiled

bowl, turning it over to coat the surface lightly with oil, and let it rest smooth-side up. Cover the dough with a damp kitchen towel or plastic wrap to keep the surface from drying out. Let the dough rise as directed in the recipe. Between the first and second rise, you don't have to knead the bread again: you can just fold it gently to express some of the gas.

Sourdough Starter Servings: 15 "Make your starter in a glass container and store in the refrigerator after fermentation has occurred." INGREDIENTS: 1 (.25 ounce) package active dry yeast 2 cups warm water 2 cups all-purpose flour DIRECTIONS: 1. In large non-metallic bowl, mix together dry yeast, 2 cups warm water, and 2 cups all purpose flour and cover loosely. 2. Leave in a warm place to ferment, 4 to 8 days. Depending on temperature and humidity of kitchen, times may vary. Place on cookie sheet in case of overflow. Check on occasionally. 3. When mixture is bubbly and has a pleasant sour smell, it is ready to use. If mixture has a pink, orange, or any other strange color tinge to it, THROW IT OUT! and start over. Keep it in the refrigerator, covered until ready to bake. 4. When you use starter to bake, always replace with equal amounts of a flour and water mixture with a pinch of sugar. So, if you remove 1 cup starter, replace with 1 cup water and 1 cup flour. Mix well and leave out on the counter until bubbly again, then refrigerate. If a clear to light brown liquid has accumulated on top, don't worry, this is an alcohol base liquid that occurs with fermentation. Just stir this back into the starter, the alcohol bakes off and that wonderful sourdough flavor remains! Sourdough starters improve with age, they used to be passed down generation to generation! 5. Use this starter to make the Sourdough Chocolate Cranberry Cake, and the Sourdough Chocolate Cake. Sourdough Starter Prep Time: 10 Minutes Ready In: 10 Minutes Servings: 48 "Some 25 years ago, I received this recipe and some starter from a good friend, who is now a neighbor. I use it to make many loaves of the Sourdough French Bread (recipe also in Recipe Finder)." INGREDIENTS: 1 (.25 ounce) package active dry yeast 2 cups warm water (110 degrees to 115 degrees) 2 cups all-purpose flour DIRECTIONS: 1. In a 4-qt. non-metallic bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water; let stand for 5 minutes. Add flour; stir until smooth. Cover loosely with a clean towel. Let stand in a warm place (80 degrees F-90 degrees F) to ferment for 48 hours; stir several times daily (the mixture will become bubbly and rise, have "yeasty" sour aroma and a transparent yellow liquid will form on the top). Use starter for your favorite sourdough recipes. The starter will keep in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks. Use and replenish or nourish at least every 2 weeks. Refer to the Sourdough Starter Secrets on page 54. Herman Sourdough Starter Prep Time: 30 Minutes Ready In: 6 Days 22 Hours 40 Minutes Servings: 8 "This is a recipe for a sweet sourdough starter known as Herman. There are a number of things that can be made from it. It will take 15 days for the starter to mature and be ready to use the first time you make it." INGREDIENTS: 2 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast 2 cups warm water (110 degrees F/45 degrees C) 2 cups all-purpose flour 1/4 cup white sugar 1 cup white sugar, divided 2 cups all-purpose flour, divided 2 cups milk, divided DIRECTIONS: 1. In a large glass or plastic container, dissolve the yeast in warm water. Stir in the flour and sugar, mix until smooth. (DO NOT USE A METAL SPOON)! Cover loosely and store in a warm place overnight. 2. The next day, stir and refrigerate. 3. Stir once each day for the next four days. On the fifth day, stir, then divide in half. Give half away with feeding instructions. 4. Feed starter with 1/2 cup white sugar, 1 cup flour, and 1 cup milk. Stir until smooth. Cover and place in refrigerator. Stir once each day for next four days. 5. On the tenth day feed again with 1/2 cup white sugar, 1 cup flour, and 1 cup milk. Return to refrigerator and stir once each day for the next four days. 6. On the fifteenth day it is ready to be used for baking. Reserve one cup of the starter in the refrigerator and continue to follow the stir and feed cycle (Stir once a day for four days, stir and feed on the fifth day, ready for use on the tenth day.) Amish Friendship Bread Starter Prep Time: 30 Minutes Ready In: 9 Days 40 Minutes Servings: 120 "Yeast, sugar, milk and flour ferment to make starter for sweet bread. Because the recipe produces so much starter, give some away to friends." INGREDIENTS: 1 (.25 ounce) package active dry yeast 1/4 cup warm water (110 degrees F/45 degrees C) 3 cups all-purpose flour, divided 3 cups white sugar, divided 3 cups milk DIRECTIONS: 1. In a small bowl, dissolve yeast in water. Let stand 10 minutes. In a 2 quart container glass, plastic or ceramic container, combine 1 cup flour and 1 cup sugar. Mix thoroughly or flour will lump when milk is added. Slowly stir in 1

cup milk and dissolved yeast mixture. Cover loosely and let stand until bubbly. Consider this day 1 of the 10 day cycle. Leave loosely covered at room temperature. 2. On days 2 thru 4; stir starter with a spoon. Day 5; stir in 1 cup flour, 1 cup sugar and 1 cup milk. Days 6 thru 9; stir only. 3. Day 10; stir in 1 cup flour, 1 cup sugar and 1 cup milk. Remove 1 cup to make your first bread, give 2 cups to friends along with this recipe, and your favorite Amish Bread recipe. Store the remaining 1 cup starter in a container in the refrigerator, or begin the 10 day process over again (beginning with step 2).

Baking Yeast Breads

Bread baking is both an art and a science. Learn how to proof your yeast, handle dough, and test for doneness. Cooling This is the most overlooked step in the bread-making process. Cool the loaves in their pans for about ten minutes before removing the pans. Cool on a rack for proper air circulation. As tempting as a warm-from-the-oven loaf may be, the bread needs to cool in order for the structure to set. Cutting a warm loaf causes mashing and tearing. Never wrap loaves until they're fully cool: condensation will form, causing a soggy crust and promoting spoilage. For beginning bakers, the main idea to keep in mind is that yeast is a living organism that requires a warm, moist environment and a food source to grow and thrive. Active Dry Yeast, Instant Yeast and Compressed Yeast

Cake yeast, or compressed yeast, is fresh yeast. It is used by many professional bakers and can be found in the refrigerated section of some supermarkets. It has a short shelf-life of one to two weeks. Some pastry recipes call for fresh yeast, which comes in 0.6-oz squares. Active dry yeast is the most commonly available form for home bakers. It is available in 1/4-oz packets or jars. Store jars in the refrigerator after opening. Be sure to check the expiration date before baking. Instant yeast is a dry yeast developed in the past thirty years. It comes in smaller granules than active dry yeast, absorbs liquid rapidly, and doesn't need to be hydrated or "proofed" before being mixed into flour. "Bread Machine Yeast" is instant yeast that may include ascorbic acid, a dough conditioner.

Yeast Conversion Rates In commercial baking, precise measurements are key. Home bakers generally don't need to reduce or increase liquid amounts to compensate for the type of yeast used since the quantities are so small. A 0.6-oz cube of cake yeast is roughly equivalent to 2 to 2-1/4 tsp. active dry rapid rise, instant, or bread machine yeast. Proofing Active Dry Yeast Yeast makes carbon dioxide gas that acts as a leavening agent. Start by "proofing" or growing the yeast: this ensures it is active and re-hydrated (this step is not required for fresh or instant yeast):

Sprinkle the yeast onto warm (110 degrees F/45 degrees C) water and stir to dissolve. The water should feel warm, not hot, to the touch. Yeast feeds on sugars-honey, molasses or refined sugar--by breaking down the flour's starches into sugar molecules. Set the yeast aside until the mixture resembles a creamy foam. This should take between three to eight minutes. If nothing happens, discard the mixture and try again with different yeast.

Mixing and Handling Mixing: Combine the liquid and proofed yeast at the bottom of a mixing bowl. Add flour and salt. Some of the best breads are "lean doughs," consisting simply of flour, water,

yeast and salt. Baguettes and ciabatta bread are examples of lean doughs. Enriched doughs contain fat, whether in the form of butter, milk, oil or eggs. Challah, brioche and sweet roll doughs are enriched doughs. If your recipe calls for butter or egg yolks, mix the flour-water-yeast mixture to hydrate the flour and develop the gluten strands before working in the fat. Kneading: Using a plastic bowl scraper, wooden spoon, or your hands, scrape the dough onto a liberally floured work surface. Kneading develops long elastic strands of gluten, or wheat protein, which trap the gases produced by the yeast. Kneading by hand is not a complicated process, but it does require some stamina. With the heels of your hands, press the dough down and away from you. Fold the dough over, turn 90 degrees, and repeat over and over until the dough is smooth and elastic. If you're using a stand mixer, knead with the hook attachment on low speed until the dough is elastic. Flour or oil your fingertips and pinch off a small piece of dough. You should be able to stretch the dough to a thin "windowpane" without tearing it. Shaping Once the dough has doubled--this can take between 45 minutes and two hours, as enriched doughs take far longer than lean--deflate it and expel the gas. If you're dividing the dough into loaves or strands for braiding, use a sharp knife rather than tearing the dough.

On a lightly floured surface, shape the loaves as desired: if you're baking in standard loaf pans, pat the dough into a rectangle to express the gas bubbles and fold up in three parts, like a business letter. Pinch the seam to seal. Place the loaves in pans or on a lightly floured kitchen towel. If you're topping loaves with seeds, now is the time to do it. Cover with a damp towel and let rise at room temperature while you preheat the oven.

Flour your index and middle fingers, and gently poke the sides of your loaf. The indentations should remain; if the dough springs back, it needs to rise more. Scoring Scoring the loaves adds more than a decorative touch: it also allows gas to escape without bursting open the seam and disfiguring the bread. Use a serrated knife--or a baker's lame, a curved razorblade--to cut diagonal slashes. Work quickly, cutting about 1/4-inch deep. Immediately transfer loaves to the hot oven. Baking The heat from the oven makes the gases in the dough expand, causing "oven spring" and releasing moisture.

Baking stones help home ovens mimic hearth ovens by storing heat and moderating the temperature. Use a spray bottle to spritz the walls of the oven, creating a blast of steam for a crisp, chewy crust. For a soft and tender crust, brush the loaves with milk or egg wash before baking. You can also brush the tops of the baked loaves or rolls with melted butter as soon as they come out of the oven.

Bake until the bread is well browned. Test for doneness by picking up the loaf with a hot pad and rapping on the bottom with your knuckles: the loaf should sound hollow when done. If it does not, or the sides or bottom of the loaf are still pale, return the bread to the pan and continue baking.

Comments mom2eric Aug. 22, 2009 6:26 am I want to make "Clone to Cinnabon" rolls. I have a Cuisinart Breadmaker and it recommends a maximum liquid temp of 90 degrees F. so as not to kill off the yeast. The Clone recipe as well as many others, call for a temp. of 110 F. is this an issue? Marg Oct. 1, 2009 9:22 pm To: mom2eric~ I've been teaching bread baking for over 20 years. To proof the yeast, 110 degrees is just about perfect. At 90 degrees it will take a lot longer for the yeast to proof. Over 115 degress you can "kill" the yeast. Hope this info helps. megan Oct. 26, 2009 5:02 am I've been trying to teach myself how to bae bread and have only made a couple of loaves but they both came out dense (the first was edible, the second not so much). Can anyone help me figure out what I did wrong? LeahEats Oct. 26, 2009 10:26 pm Megan, Maybe you're over-kneading/mixing the bread, thusly causing the gluten to break down/coagulate/some such thing? I've had that problem before and have tried to knead less and it seems to help...? : / dig Oct. 29, 2009 11:19 am all of the things you guys talk about are weaksauce ANNIE728 Nov. 1, 2009 4:09 pm You should try allowing it to rise for less time. Sometimes when you let bread rise for longer than the time necesary to double (which varies of course depending on the temperature, etc.) It over stretches the gluten, making it weaker, and causing it to collapse when it bakes. Claudine Yeatts Nov. 1, 2009 7:30 pm I let my dough rise on the clothes dryer while it's running (in a greased, covered bowl) and it works like a charm! I'm new to bread making so I was glad to learn this trick! The temperature, during first rising especially, I think is important. CANFREE Nov. 22, 2009 10:34 am re: the rising topic- during the warmer months, i'll even placed my bread/rolls in the pan in the car (covered) out of direct sunlight of course. this works great in the garage! i heve a cabinet above the oven so in the winter i stick the pans in there atop my cookbooks. I must try the dryer!!I found somewhere online that adding a bit of buttermilk or lemon juice helps the rise as well and it seems to also work out. holly Nov. 23, 2009 7:59 am I would like to make bread but it is not going to well!! DARRELL Nov. 24, 2009 2:07 am best water temp. is 90 degrees, 110 degrees gives you less time to work your dough & shortens dough life. finished dough temp. should be no higher than 80 degrees, when its finished mixing. do not let salt come in direct contact with yeast , salt will kill yeast,darrell, 36 year bakery exp. DARRELL Nov. 24, 2009 2:21 am the longer you mix a dough the tougher it will be, as far as bread tops being flat, your dough was probably too slack,(sticky)or proofed too hot & too long. be patient & let it rise at room temp, till doubled in size. bake at 350, 375 JMVS Dec. 2, 2009 5:50 am I would like to freeze my dough and use it later....has anyone ever done this? Did it turn out well? I don't want to waste it. Thanks JMVS Gloria Dec. 14, 2009 6:47 am I freeze bread dough frequently and it works just fine. I also make rolls or cinnamon buns in the evening through the first rise and then shape and place them into a baking pan. I then put them into the refrigerator and take them out in the morning. Even in the fridge they rise overnight and in the morning I let them warm to room temperature ( about 45 minutes ) and bake as usual. Works like a charm. Ann Dec. 19, 2009 7:48 am Darrell, what kind of yeast are you using? Instant yeast calls for 90 degree water, but I've never used instant. Thanks. Ann Darlene Jan. 2, 2010 7:04 pm So if my recipe calls for dry yeast, I can put the same amount of rapid rise yeast in instead? Both are .25 ounce. MAUSERATI Jan. 24, 2010 7:24 pm why do you omit giving any info on how to shape a loaf? It's crucial to give structure to the dough so the yeast has something to lift (yeast is "leavening", it needs something to lift). MEGAN and KATHY - please read the following for helping your loaves rise well and expand in the oven. Also, cool the loaves COMPLETELY before cutting because pressing on the loaf or releasing the steam compacts the loaf. Every baker learnt his/her own way to create the outside "shell" and internal layers. I personally like the technique from Laurel's Kitchen and Laurel's Bread Book. But it's a little difficult to describe without graphics. Here is probably the simplest way to shape a loaf of bread: Press the kneaded dough into an evenly thick rectangle. "Eyeball" the center of

width to divide into two equal rectangles. Bring both side edges to the middle. Fold again along the "eyeballed" center, so you now have one fourth the original rectangle. Pinch the edges to seal, also gently shaping the newly formed "loaf" to fit the pan or desired end result if baking without a form. You should be fairly gentle through this process, as you are developing an outer layer "skin" that will trap the yeast gas during the baking. vicent Jan. 29, 2010 8:56 am most interested in the post from the scientific gentleman with the wood oven mine is my mk.2 in spain same pattern as the mk.i in england but bigger i can get a wild boar in (just) takes 6 hours more or less to warm up but then takes very little to keep running due to my (unpatented) double heating construction.still haven't finished cosmetics but been cooking for over 2 years with it- just baked bread and have beef ribs potato and onion due out in an hour- nothing fancy- out of the freezer into earthenware pot with water bayleaves whole peppercorns garlic and salt a little finely chopped liver when the liquid is reduced to a thick sauce i will attack after a seemly rest to cool . a little local red wine - y esta cheers. thebrattons Feb. 1, 2010 3:01 am I agree with the note on cooling. There is a handy way of doing it. I purchased on of those bread slicer guides a while back when bread machines were all the rage; it's plastic (but then what isn't anymore?) that holds the hot loaf with guides for a knife. Using an electric knife to slice and you get perfect slices every time with no mashed up, torn bread sheela Feb. 20, 2010 12:09 pm my breads come out fine except that they are somewhat crumbly. Is there anything I can add to make the breads stiffer and less crumbly? Thanks. ginny Feb. 28, 2010 5:27 am i bake bread a lot (amish white) and after putting it together and putting it into my oiled bowl, i put my damp rag over it and put it into my microwave which is above my stove and turn on the surface light of the stove. it gives off just enough warmth to rise my dough wonderfully. krystleheys Mar. 23, 2010 6:54 pm What does it mean if I sprinkle the yeast over the water and it falls to the bottom of my bowl? Water is warm and it happenned with active dry yeast packets and rapid yeast packets. Bonnie Mar. 29, 2010 8:06 pm When I started baking bread my loaves would look like bricks, so I asked my mother-in-law, what was I doing wrong? She told me to beat the yeast mixture with my electric mixer and it turned out very well. I have been using this method now, for years. Aries1879 Apr. 13, 2010 1:32 am Roughly how long does it take to knead the dough till smooth and elastic? Aries1879 Apr. 13, 2010 1:34 am Roughly how long does it take to knead the dough till smooth and elastic? When I use my Kenwood mixer, I always need to add extra flour or else the dough would be still sticking to the sides of the bowl. HELP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! THank You. Linda Apr. 24, 2010 7:08 pm I have been making sourdough bread from a starter for 2 or 3 months now. It comes out wonderfully except for one thing. I have a problem with the baked loaves having an air pocket on the top of the loaf. I do not know if I am over kneading or under kneading, or if the kneading is even the problem. I use my stand mixer with a dough hook to mix and knead the dough when I make the bread dough before the first bulk rising. When I form the dough into loaves, I usually try to knead by hand about 50 times for each loaf. Anyway, can anyone help? Doughgirl8 Jun. 28, 2010 3:01 pm Hi Linda. I think your problem is the shaping of the loaves, not the kneading. You want to flatten the dough and push out all the air bubbles before rolling it up or folding it like a burrito. Then let the shaped loaves rise as usual before baking. Maranita Jul. 1, 2010 2:03 am I bake bread every week (no machines) and have some advice: 1) If your bread comes out too compact, you are probably using too much flour. 2) If it is crumbly or dry, try using some fat ( I always put in a couple of tbsp of Extra Virgin olive oil) 3) The longer you knead (by hand), the better the texture. 4) I often just use cold water and the bread rises just fine. It can take a little longer, but the aroma will only be better! Same goes for letting it rise in the fridge during the night! pollyparrot Jul. 1, 2010 3:07 pm I just started baking bread (only made 2 loaves so far) from an easy French bread recipe I found and everything OK so far! Important to spray oven(and bread lightly)for a crispy crust. I sat here and read every comment (a lot!)and the very last one from Maranita was by far the best!! P.S....I worked in an Italian restaurant for

2 years & watched when he baked their bread for sandwiches and garlic bread every morning! He tried to keep it a secret, same with his Italian salad dressing, but you can learn alot just by watching!!! Thanks for reading this rambling, Have a good, smelly (baking bread of course!) day....... CavieMom Jul. 3, 2010 7:44 am Quick proofing tip: After mixing or kneading the dough, put it in a lightly oiled bowl. Turn it over to completely coat, the cover the bowl with plastic wrap. Place in a microwave oven and cook for 10 minutes on 1 (lowest power). When timer goes off, let it sit in the microwave another 45 minutes for perfectly risen bread. GoodFood Jul. 29, 2010 7:48 pm Can you 'save' old flour by adding gluten? I used flour that was a year old from the cabinet and the bread came out dry, with a hard dark crust. TGOO581365 Aug. 3, 2010 3:30 pm I have been baking bread for quite some time now and started out using a bread machine. Gave it up and started doing it by hand, resulting in much better breads. I knead all my breads 300 times and though it is time consuming it gives the best texture. Kneadfing it fgor shorter times makes them have a lot more air pockets. I make mostly sour dough and am trying to make rye. Have so far had rather poor results , as it doesn't seem to rise enough no matter what I do. Am now reducing the amounts of rye flour in preportion to the white flour and hoping it will do the trick. Any help would be welcomed. For those of you who are somewhat pensive on making breads,,,, Keep on trying the results will come and you will be happy. Don't be afraid to try something new either. Home made breads are so much more than store breads. cookhealthy Aug. 6, 2010 5:43 pm I have been making bread for about 3-4 years now. I have found if you are making whole wheat bread that adding extra gluten will make the bread lighter and fluffier. I add 1 tbls to 2 cups of flour. When you are using a dough hook to knead your bread, my directions say to knead about 2 minutes to every 1/2 cup of flour added during the kneading process. I have read that if you are kneading by hand that kneading for whole wheat bread should be at least 15 minutes. These seem to work for me. Happy baking!!! I have also noticed that rainy weather does seem to influence the rise on my bread. I would use the microwave or oven methods on days like that.

Amish White Bread

Prep Time: 20 Minutes Cook Time: 40 Minutes Ready In: 2 Hours 30 Minutes Servings: 24 "This recipe will give you two loaves of plain, sweet white bread that are quick and easy to make."

INGREDIENTS:
2 cups warm water (110 degrees F/45 degrees C) 2/3 cup white sugar 1 1/2 tablespoons active dry yeast 1 1/2 teaspoons salt 1/4 cup vegetable oil 6 cups bread flour

DIRECTIONS:
1. In a large bowl, dissolve the sugar in warm water, and then stir in yeast. Allow to proof until yeast resembles a creamy foam. 2. Mix salt and oil into the yeast. Mix in flour one cup at a time. Knead dough on a lightly floured surface until smooth. Place in a well oiled bowl, and turn dough to coat. Cover with a damp cloth. Allow to rise until doubled in bulk, about 1 hour. 3. Punch dough down. Knead for a few minutes, and divide in half. Shape into loaves, and place into two well oiled 9x5 inch loaf pans. Allow to rise for 30 minutes, or until dough has risen 1 inch above pans. 4. Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 30 minutes.

Traditional White Bread

Prep Time: 20 Minutes Cook Time: 30 Minutes Ready In: 2 Hours 30 Minutes Servings: 20 "A delicious bread with a very light center with crunchy crust. You may substitute butter or vegetable oil for the lard if you wish."

INGREDIENTS:
2 (.25 ounce) packages active dry yeast 3 tablespoons white sugar 2 1/2 cups warm water (110 degrees F /45 degrees C) 3 tablespoons lard, softened 1 tablespoon salt 6 1/2 cups bread flour

DIRECTIONS:
1. In a large bowl, dissolve yeast and sugar in warm water. Stir in lard, salt and two cups of the flour. Stir in the remaining flour, 1/2 cup at a time, beating well after each addition. When the dough has pulled together, turn it out onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic, about 8 minutes. 2. Lightly oil a large bowl, place the dough in the bowl and turn to coat with oil. Cover with a damp cloth and let rise in a warm place until doubled in volume, about 1 hour. 3. Deflate the dough and turn it out onto a lightly floured surface. Divide the dough into two equal pieces and form into loaves. Place the loaves into two lightly greased 9x5 inch loaf pans. Cover the loaves with a damp cloth and let rise until doubled in volume, about 40 minutes. 4. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C). 5. Bake at 375 degrees F (190 degrees C) for about 30 minutes or until the top is golden brown and the bottom of the loaf sounds hollow when tapped.

Grandma VanDoren's White Bread

Servings: 36 "What Grandma used to make! Our family's favorite. The recipe was never written down (that I know of) until she shared it with me when she was in her 90's."

INGREDIENTS:
3 cups warm water 3 tablespoons active dry yeast 3 teaspoons salt 4 tablespoons vegetable oil 1/2 cup white sugar 8 cups bread flour

DIRECTIONS:
1. In a large bowl, combine warm water, yeast, salt, oil, sugar, and 4 cups flour. Mix thoroughly, and let sponge rise until doubled in size. 2. Gradually add about 4 cups flour, kneading until smooth. Place dough in a greased bowl, and turn several times to coat. Cover with a damp cloth. Allow to rise until doubled. 3. Punch down the dough, let it rest a few minutes. Divide dough into three equal parts. Shape into loaves, and place in three 8 1/2 x 4 1/2 inch greased bread pans. Let rise until almost doubled. 4. Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 35 to 45 minutes. The loaves may need to be covered for the last few minutes with foil to prevent excess browning.

Honey Wheat Bread I

Prep Time: 25 Minutes Cook Time: 35 Minutes Ready In: 2 Hours 30 Minutes Servings: 24 "This tender honey wheat loaf features evaporated milk for extra rich taste and texture."

INGREDIENTS:
1 (.25 ounce) package rapid rise yeast 1 teaspoon white sugar 1/2 cup warm water (110 degrees F/45 degrees C) 1 (12 fluid ounce) can evaporated milk 1/4 cup water 1/4 cup melted shortening 1/4 cup honey 2 teaspoons salt 2 cups whole wheat flour 3 cups bread flour 2 tablespoons butter

DIRECTIONS:
1. Dissolve yeast and sugar in 1/2 cup warm water. 2. Combine milk, 1/4 cup water, shortening, honey, salt and wheat flour in food processor or bowl. Mix in yeast mixture, and let rest 15 minutes. Add white flour, and process until dough forms a ball. Knead dough by processing an additional 80 seconds in food processor, or mix and knead by hand 10 minutes. Place the dough in a buttered bowl, and turn to coat. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap. Let dough rise for 45 minutes, or until almost doubled. 3. Punch down, and divide dough in half. Roll out each half, and pound out the bubbles. Form into loaves, and place in buttered 9x5 inch bread pans. Butter the tops of the dough, and cover loosely with plastic wrap. Let rise in a warm area until doubled; second rise should take about 30 minutes. 4. Place a small pan of water on the bottom shelf of the oven. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).

5. Bake for 25 to 35 minutes, or until tops are dark golden brown. Butter crusts while warm. Slice when cool.