Are you craving bread?

In like, warm, soft, crusty bread that is perfect with that homemade jam and butter.

I sure am.

I think, it is because of  the below freezing temperatures and the 8 inches of snow outside.

Instead of apple a day, doesn’t the doctor suggest a slice of homemade crusty bread, will keep the doctors away.

Ok…fine….the doc did not…but the doc should have. : )

Oldest Daughter who does not cook, ate ALL (well, almost all) the Molasses Oatmeal Bread I made the other day.

So,….now that the roads are clear enough for her to go back to work (I still have another snow day from school), I thought I would make some bread, and eat all I wanted before she came home.

Great Plan…right? (Devilish smile)

Don’t worry about the girl who cannot cook….I made two loaves. One for me…and one for everyone else.

See, I know how to share.

Why, don’t you try this, melt in your mouth crusty white bread, and see if you feel like sharing.

Here is what you need to make the perfect Crusty White Bread.

You will need, flour, yeast, sugar, vegetable shortening, butter, salt, eggs, lemon juice and oil.

         

In a measuring cup, put in your lukewarm water, yeast and 2 tablespoons of sugar. The sugar feeds the yeast and helps it to activate.

After about five minutes your yeast should look like this. The bubbles on top tell you that the yeast is activated.

         

Now, switch to a stand mixer and add in the eggs and vegetable shortening.

         

Now, add on the salt and the lemon juice.

           

Add in the sugar (I forgot to take a picture of me adding the sugar). Mix everything together with the beater attachment on your stand mixer.

         

Add in the activated yeast and mix in with the egg mixture.

         

Add in three cups of flour and beat in with the mixer. It will look like a thick paste mixture.

         

Now, switch to you dough hook and add another 3 cups of flour. If you do not have a dough hook, use your beater to add more flour, then just knead the dough by hand to add in the rest of the flour.

         

After I used my dough hook on the dough for five minutes. I took it out and put the dough on a lightly floured pastry board.

         

I kneaded the dough, adding just enough flour to make a soft dough. I placed the dough in a large bowl.

         

Brush a little oil on top of the bread, Put a towel on top of the bowl and place the bowl in a warm place for the dough to rise.

After about an hour the dough will rise to double it’s size.

Place the dough back on the lightly floured pastry board and cut the dough in half. (if you do not have a pastry board just use the kitchen counter)

Roll the dough out to a 9 inch by 18 inch rectangle.

Roll the dough up from the short end.

Seal the edge of the dough to the loaf by pinching it together.

Place the dough into a greased 9 inch by 5 inch bread pan.

Cover the pans with a towel and let the loaves rise till they double in size. Now, it is time to bake the bread. I lowered my rack in the over to one notch lower. I preheated my oven to 370. Bake the bread for 25 to 30 minutes or until the bread sounds hollow inside and is nicely browned.

When they come out of the oven, brush the loaves with melted butter.

Take the bread out of the pans and cool completely. I know it is hard not to cut into them now. : )

See what a beautiful loaf of bread this recipe makes?

I think you have waited long enough for the recipe : )

Here is the recipe.

Crusty White Bread

Ingredients:

2 envelopes of active dry yeast

2 cups of lukewarm water (105 to 110 degrees)

2 tablespoons sugar to add to the yeast and water

1/2 cup sugar to add to the dough

2 large eggs

1/4 cup vegetable shortening

1 tablespoon salt

1 tablespoon lemon juice

6 to 6 1/2 cup flour. I used all purpose flour, but you can use bread flour if you have it.

1 tablespoon oil to put on top of the dough while rising

2 tablespoons butter, melted to put on top of the loaves when they come out of the oven.

Directions:

In a large liquid measuring cup, measure out the warm water. Add the yeast and the sugar. Stir to dissolve. Wait 5 minutes for the yeast to activate.

In the bowl of stand mixer. Add the eggs, vegetable shortening, sugar, salt and lemon juice. With the beater attachment, mix together.

Add the yeast mixture to the egg mixture in the mixing bowl. Mix in.

Add in 3 cups of flour and beat in with the mixer until it is mixed in completely.

Switch to your dough hook attachment. Add in 3 more cups of flour. Knead in the flour with the dough hook for five minutes.

Take the dough out of the bowl and put on a floured surface. Knead in enough flour to make a nice soft dough.

Put the dough into a grease bowl. Brush oil on top of the dough. Cover the dough with a towel, put in a nice warm place (85 degrees if you can). Let the dough double in size.

Take the risen dough and place it on a floured surface and cut in half.

Roll each half into a rectangle that is 9 inches by 18. Roll the dough up by the short end. Seal the ends and the edge of the dough by pinching it together.

Put the loaves into lightly greased bread pans.

Cover the dough and let them rise, till doubled.

Preheat oven to 370 degrees. Lower the oven rack by one notch. (So the top of the bread does not too brown when baking)

Bake 25 to 30 minutes or until loaves are a golden brown and should sound hollow when tapped.

Remove loaves from pans and put on a wire cooling rack. Brush the loaves with melted butter.

Cool completely before slicing.

Nothing is better than homemade crusty white bread!

Hope you will try to make some for yourself!

Stay warm and eat food….really good food!

Becky

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