No Fail Homemade Yeast Bread
Source: Becky Low, Utah State University Extension
Cooks do not make homemade bread as they did a few years ago. Today, that treat may seem impossible for the novice cook - but not with this recipe. It is easy, quick to fix, and takes much less time than traditional homemade bread. Recipe makes 4 loaves.
No Fail Yeast Bread
Source: adapted from Becky Low, Utah State University Extension
Cooks do not make homemade bread as they did a few years ago. Today, that treat may seem impossible for the novice cook - but not with this recipe. It is easy, quick to fix, and takes much less time than traditional homemade bread. Recipe makes 4 loaves.
5 cups warm water (I use my tap water as hot as it will go)
3 tablespoon active dry yeast
1 cup honey or 3/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup oil
1-1/2 tablespoon salt
11-12 cups all-purpose flour or bread flour
This recipe is easiest if a large mixer is used. If a mixer is unavailable, dough may be kneaded by hand.
Combine water, yeast, sugar (or honey), oil, salt, and mix together. Stir in enough flour to make a dough that pulls away from the sides of the mixer but is still sticky to the touch
Knead for 8 - 10 minutes in your mixer or by hand. Flour hands and remove from mixer. Place dough onto floured surface and knead until soft and not sticky.
Divide dough into 4 parts. Shape each part into a loaf and place into greased loaf pans. Cover and allow to rise until dough is 1 inch above pans.
* another note from Melissa on this one: I heat my oven to 170 degrees and then I put my dough in the pans in there to let it rise in a warm, protected spot (away from my kids!) It rises more quickly for me this way as well. (usually just about 30 minutes!) When they have risen I keep them in the oven and just switch the temperature to 350 and bake.
Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Bake for 25-30 minutes. Turn out of pans to cool.
NOTE: A nice variation is to make sweet rolls. Take 1 or 2 of the pieces of bread dough divided to make a loaf. Roll each portion of dough out into a 14 x 8-inch rectangle on a lightly floured surface. Brush with 1-2 tablespoons softened butter, then sprinkle with cinnamon and sugar. Roll up dough. Cut into 1-inch slices and place on greased baking pan. Allow to rise until double in bulk. Bake as above. And of course you've got to top them with some frosting!