I am going to share my favorite bread recipe with you. I got it from the back of a Dakota Maid Bread Flour bag, I add a few extra ingredients to boost the nutritional value and try to keep a few extra loaves on hand at all times. I grew up on homemade bread and my Mom would make 20 - 30 loaves at a time, since there were ten of us it took a lot of bread to feed us, granted we weren't always all at home at the same time but there was usually a good number of family around. I usually multiply this recipe x 4 and I get around 8 loaves depending if I make fry bread or rolls or fleisch keigla etc... you get the idea. What we don't eat I freeze. Anyway here it is and hope you enjoy making some for yourself.
WHITE PAN BREAD
4 1/2 to 5 cups Bread Flour ( Dakota Maid is amazing)
1 3/4 cups Water
1 packet (1 Tablespoon) Active Dry Yeast
1-2 tsp. Salt
2 Tbsp. Sugar
2 Tbsp. Vegetable Shortening
2 tsp. Non-Fat Milk Solids (I use milk)
Follow directions on package for yeast hydration. Kneed dough until smooth, dry and pliable (10 minutes). Cover and let rise in warm place until doubled in size. Divide dough in half. Shape into 2 loaves. Place in pans and let rise to desired height.
Bake at 400 to 425 F. Makes approximately 2 delicious loaves.
Here are my directions:
I usually put all of the ingredients together at once except the flour as long as the water is warm it works out very well. I let this mixture set about 20 -30 minutes, until it looks like a big sponge, then I add the flour, a handful of oatmeal, 1/4 to 1/2 c. cornmeal, 1/4 -1/2 c. whole wheat flour or 1/4 c. wheat germ, I have added flax seed and molasses as well. It's all very good. I mix it all together and let it rise then punch it down and repeat two or three times, I then lop off a chunk, shape it, put it in pans, slather on some veg. oil, let it rise again and bake it. Not too difficult but it does take practice as I've made a few football type loaves when I first started, getting the right consistency can be tricky but this recipe has definitely improved my success rate. Hopefully you have the same results. Enjoy!!:)
