Darn Good Bread

1/2 cup all purpose flour

5 1/2 cups bread flour

3 Tablespoon sugar

1 Tablespoon salt

2 Tablespoon shortening

4 1/2 teaspoons yeast (2 packets)

2 1/4 cup very warm water(120 degree)

1 -2 Tablespoons additional water

In a large preheated (I fill my bowl half full of very hot water while I gather my ingredients, then dump it out just when I'm starting) mixer bowl, combine the 2 1/4 cup hot water and the yeast. Add the sugar and allow to sit til very foamy, 3 to 5 minutes. Add the salt, shortening, all purpose flour and 3 cups of bread flour. Beat for 1 minute on low, scrape the bowl and beat for 1 more minute on medium. Add remaining flour a cup at a time to make an easily handled dough. Switch to your doughhook whenever it becomes necessary.

I allow my Kitchen Aide mixer to do all of my kneading, approximately 10 minutes. Once the dough has all come together and is being kneaded, add the other 1-2 tablespoons of water. When the water is all taken into the dough, the dough should make a wet "tac" kind of noise. Gather dough into a nice smooth ball and place in a large greased bowl turning the dough so all sides are greased. Cover bowl with a clean kitchen towel and let rise in a warm place til doubled, about an hour. I usually turn on my oven while I preheat my bowl and once the temp is starting to rise, I shut it off with the door left shut.  I also put a pie pan of water on the lower rack in the oven to make it humid in there.

Grease to bottoms and sides of 2 loaf pans.

Gently push your fist in the dough to deflate.  Divide dough in half. Roll each half into a 18X9 inch rectangle on lightly floured surface. Roll the dough tightly from a 9 inch side. Every quarter turn, press with fingertips to seal. Pnich the edges and bottom of loafs to seal and place in prepared pans, seam side down. Cover with kitchen towel again and allow to rise in a warm place 40-60 minutes til they rise an inch or so above the tops of the pans. remove from oven of this is where you had them rising.

Heat oven to 415. Bake 9 minutes then check for browning.  If loaves are browning too quickly, lay some foil over the tops and continue baking. Bake an additional7-10 minutes til lovely golden brown. Remove from pans and allow to cool competely on wire rack.

Notes:  When I first retired in December last year I knew one of the things I needed to teach myself was how to make a really good bread. Something that you could have a sandwich on or turn into french toast. 6 months of trying and tweaking recipes followed.   This is a good reliable bread.  It holds up to hotfillings and wet ones like egg salad - just exactly what we will need when we move onto to making food for you at Creekside Farm.