Homemade Bread

From the kitchen of: Grandma T. with adaptations by Reesa

INGREDIENTS:

• 6 C. warm (not hot) water
• 1/4 C. sugar
• 3 T. yeast
• 2/3 C. non instant or 1 1/3 C. instant milk powder
• 1/3 C. oil
• 1 T. salt
• 12-14 C. flour

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Combine the water, sugar, and yeast and let stand for 5-10 minutes. The yeast begins to work and becomes foamy.
2. Add the milk powder, oil, salt, and 6 C. of the flour and beat for 5 min. with a mixer or 150 strokes by hand.
3. Add 6-8 C. more flour to form a medium firm dough.*
4. Knead for five minutes in a machine or by hand.**
5. Place dough in an oiled bowl, cover and let rise for 45 min. to an hour in a warm place.***
6. Shape light dough into 4 loaves and place in oiled 4"x8" pans. Let raise again about 30 min. and bake in 350⁰ F oven for 35-45 min. Loaves should sound hollow when you tap them when they are done. Cool on rack.

*If the dough is too soft (too little flour) it will be hard to handle and have big air holes in the finished bread. Too firm (too much flour) and the bread will be dry.

**Kneading by hand. Roll dough into a rectangle on a floured board. Fold into thirds as you would a business letter. Roll and fold a total of 5 or 6 times. You may need to add a little flour to keep dough from sticking but don't add a lot.

***One good place is in a warm, moist microwave. Put a small bowl of water in the microwave and heat to boiling, letting some of the water evaporate as steam. Then remove the water and put bread dough into the warm, moist oven. Do not turn microwave on while dough is inside.

MAKES: 4 4"x8" loaves