This is a white bread I finally settled on about 20 years ago, when I was baking all the bread for my family of four. We ate so much, I just worked it up for two loaves, so that's what I've got here. It's followed by the single loaf approximations I used earlier this week for the loaf pictured here. It's a good, tasty white bread for toasting or making sandwiches, and if it gets stale, it makes fantastic french toast.

WHITE BREAD
(two 9x5 loaves)

7-1/2 cups bread flour
1/2 cup sugar
1 Tbsp. salt
1-1/2 Tbsp. instant yeast (or two 1/4-ounce packets)

mix 4 cups of the flour with the other dry ingredients.

heat to 120F:
2-1/4 cups milk
1/4 cup butter or margarine

add this, along with 1 egg, lightly beaten to your flour/yeast dry mixture and blend until evenly incorporated.

add the remaining 3-1/2 cups flour, a cup at a time, into the dough. it should begin to hold together after about two cups additional. if you're using a mixer, you can continue with that process, or turn the dough out to work the rest of the flour in by hand.

grease a large bowl, plop your dough ball into it, and turn it, cover with a kitchen towel, and set it to rise until doubled in bulk. depending on your ambient temperature, it could take 1-3 hours.

when it's doubled, punch it down in the bowl, and turn it out onto a floured work surface. knead it a few minutes to work out the bubbles, add a little flour if it sticks to your hands. flatten it out into a rectanglish-shape with your hands, and divide it evenly. flatten the pieces out a little more, then roll up tightly as you can, pinching the closing seams together, tucking the ends in if need be, and set them to rise (covered) in greased loaf pans. the second rise goes much faster, again, depending on ambient temperature, 30-60 minutes is typical.

preheat your oven to 375F, and bake for 10 minutes, then reduce to 350F for an additional 30 minutes. keep watch on it, I think my oven runs about 25 degrees hot, at least as compared to Floyd's temperatures. if all goes well, it should just roll out of the loaf pan when tipped on its side. cool it on a rack, resting on its bottom, and the rack will leave cutting guides for you.

Notes
If you coat the top crust with melted butter or margarine while it's hot, it will stay soft. The advantage to this is that slicing the bread won't crush the loaf. But you already know that a loaf like this should be sliced laying on its side anyway, right? It's another deterrent to crushing, and it exposes the cutting guides you made on the bottom of the loaf. And don't forget to use a serrated bread knife!

I skip the step of trying to heat milk without scalding it on the bottom of the saucepan by using powdered milk (1 cup) and the same amount (2-1/4 cups) of comfortably warm tap water in place of dairy milk.

This recipe can also be made into six mini-loaves if you want to have a special little dinner where everyone gets their own loaf of bread. Temperature is the same, adjust your own timing.

Single 9x5 Loaf:

about 4-1/2 cups bread flour
1 Tbsp. or one 1/4-ounce packet dry yeast
3 Tbsp. sugar
1-1/2 tsp. salt
1/3 cup powdered milk
1 cup warm water
2 Tbsp butter
1 egg

start your dry mix using 2 cups flour, add the remaining in after the liquids.

Today I tried making English Muffins for the first time. They turned out pretty good:

I think I made the dough a little too dry, so I didn't get the big holes inside that you want, but they still tasted good.

I used the recipe from Beth Hensberger's Bread Bible. I may try another next time, but no complaints about this recipe.

Although I don't make this a lot it is always enjoyed when I do.qahtan

Volkornbrot

3 cups 5 or 7 grain cereal
1 cup whole wheat flour
2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1/2 cup molasses
3 cups hot water

Combine dry ingredients. Stir molasses and hot water into dry ingredients. Let stand overnight. Turn mixture into small loaf pan.
Cover pan tightly with aluminum foil. Bake at 275 for 3 hours.
Cool in pan. Wrap and keep in refrigerator. Keeps 2 weeks.
Does not freeze well.

erin, used the same recipe ,cut in 1/2 and they were abslolutly delicious,will make again.

As a part of my search for the light, crusty brotchen that brightened my mornings in Germany I am going to try the following recipe this weekend. I have high hopes for these!

INGREDIENTS:

* 2 tablespoons active dry yeast
* 1 tablespoon white sugar
* 2 1/2 cups warm water (110 degrees F)
* 2 tablespoons shortening
* 2 teaspoons salt
* 7 cups all-purpose flour
* 3 egg whites, stiffly beaten
* 1 egg white (for egg wash)
* 2 tablespoons cold milk

DIRECTIONS:

1. In a large mixing bowl, dissolve yeast and sugar in warm water. Let sit until creamy; about 10 minutes.
2. Mix in shortening, salt and 3 cups of the flour. Beat with dough whisk or heavy spoon for 2 minutes. Fold in egg whites. Gradually add flour 1/4 cup at a time, until dough forms a mass and begins to pull away from bowl. Turn onto a floured surface. Knead, adding more flour as necessary, for 8 to 10 minutes, until smooth and elastic with bubbles.
3. Lightly oil a large mixing bowl, place the dough in the bowl and turn to coat with oil. Cover with a damp cloth and let rise in a warm place until doubled in volume, about 1 hour. Deflate the dough, form into a round and let rise again until doubled, about 45 minutes.
4. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C). Deflate the dough and turn it out onto a lightly floured surface. Divide the dough into 24 equal pieces and form into oval rolls about 3 1/2 inches long. Place on lightly greased baking sheets, cover and let rise until doubled in volume, about 40 minutes.
5. Place an empty baking sheet on the bottom rack of the oven. In a small bowl, lightly beat the egg white with the 2 tablespoons of milk to make the egg wash. Lightly brush the risen rolls with the egg wash. Place 1 cup of ice cubes on the hot baking sheet in the oven and immediately place the rolls in the oven.
6. Bake at 425 degrees F (220 degrees C) for about 20 minutes or until the tops are golden brown. Remove to a wire rack and cool.

Another one from Bernard Clayton's New Complete Book of Breads, my latest library find.

Clayton says this bread is traditionally baked in a casserole pan. I baked it that way, but I see no reason why this wouldn't be excellent baked in a loaf pan.

Dill Casserole Bread

1 cup cottage cheese
2 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon powdered onion
1 tablespoon dillweed or dillseeds
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
2 eggs
1 package dry yeast or the equivalent amount (2 1/4 teaspoons) of instant yeast
2 1/2 cups flour
a pat of butter
a dash of salt

Zap the cottage cheese in the microwave for 30 seconds to get it to room temperature. Mix in with it the sugar, onion, dill, salt, baking soda, eggs, and yeast.

Add the flour, 1/2 cup at a time, and mix it in with the wet ingredients with a wooden spoon. Clayton says that this will make "a heavy batter, not a dough, and not be kneaded." Mine ended up thick enough that I had to use my hands to do a brief knead to do the final mixing.

Cover the dough and allow it to rise until doubled in size, about 1 hour.

Deflate the dough/batter by stirring it or punching it down. Pour it into a greased casserole or loaf pan. Cover and allow it to rise until doubled in size again, around 45 minutes.

Bake at 350 for 40 to 45 minutes, until a toothpick or skewer stuck into the center comes out clean. If the top of the loaf is looking too dark, cover it with foil for the final 15 minutes of the baking.

After you pull the loaf out of the over, rub the top of it with the pat of butter and sprinkle it with salt.

So...at the risk of sounding stupid here...
Has anyone here ever made breadsticks? Is it very different from making other breads?

Got any favorite recipes to share? Something that would go well with pastas and lasagna dishes and such would be ideal!

We tried this one this week. It was very good, and made incredible toast.

Maple Oatmeal Bread

Makes 2 loaves

2 1/2 cups boiling water
1 cup rolled oats
1 package dry yeast
3/4 cup maple syrup
2 teaspoons salt
1 tablespoon oil
5 cups flour

Put the oats into a bowl. Pour the boiling water over the oats and set aside for an hour.

Mix the yeast, syrup, salt, and oil into the oats. Mix in 3 cups of the flour. Cover the bowl and let rise for an hour.

Add more flour, 1/2 cup at a time, until the dough is the correct consistency. Knead for 10 minutes. Cut the dough into two pieces, then shape it into loaves and place in greased loaf pans. Cover and let rise another 45 minutes.