Delicious White Bread
Why I Love This Recipe
I got this recipe from The Pillsbury complete book of baking. It takes awhile, but smells and tastes fab! I love making it on cold snowy days! Not using a bread machine makes me feel accomplished for some odd reason!
Ingredients You'll Need
5 to 6 cups all purpose flour
3 tablespoons sugar
2 teaspoons salt
2 pkg active dry yeast
2 cups water
1/4 cup oil or shortening
1 tablespoon margarine or butter, melted.
Directions
In large bowl, combine 2 cups flour, sugar salt and yeast; blend well. In small saucepan, heat water and oil until very warm {120-130F}. Add warm liquid to flour mixture. Blend at low speed until moistened; beat 3 minutes at medium speed. By hand, stir in an additional 2 1/3 - 3 cups of flour until dough pulls cleanly away from sides of bowl.
On flowered surface, knead in 1/2 - 1 cup flour until dough is smooth and elastic, about 5 minutes. Place dough in greased bowl; cover loosely with plastic wrap and cloth towel. Let it rise in a warm place {80-85 degrees} until light and doubled in size, 45-60 minutes.
Grease two 8x4 or two 9x5 inch loaf pans. Punch down dough several times to remove all air bubbles. Divide dough into 2 parts; shape into loaves. Place in greased pans. Cover; let rise in warm place until dough fills pans and tops of loaves are about 1 inch above pan edges, 30-35 minutes.
Heat oven to 375. Uncover dough. Bake 40-50 minutes or until loaves sound hollow until lightly tapped. Immediately remove from pans; cool on wire racks. Brush with melted margarine or butter.
Makes about two 18 slice loaves.