basic bread

I followed through on my threats to make bread :-) The missionary lady I lived with long ago as a mother’s helper gave me this recipe, and I made it a few times in Mexico to give to friends there; but hadn’t used it since.   I pulled it out a couple weeks ago and decided it looked simple enough to start with.  It worked beautifully, and it tastes really delicious.  I think Susan collects recipes; and, I think, baking bread is one of the nicest smells on earth.

(If you have favorite oven recipes, please post them?  I’m looking for every excuse to use the oven right now and I expect everyone else is too now that one can, as Laura recently remarked, use the oven without worry about driving up the electricity bill.)

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Home-Style Yeast Bread

1 pkg. active dry yeast

2 cups warm water (110 to 115)

1 cup sugar

1/2 cup melted butter or margarine

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

2 eggs, beaten

7 to 8 cups bread flour

In a mixing bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water. Add the sugar, butter, salt, eggs and 4 cups flour. Beat until smooth. Stir in enough remaining flour to form a soft dough. Turn onto a floured surface, knead until smooth and elastic, about 6-8 minutes. Place in a greased bowl, turning once to grease top. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1 hour. Punch dough down. Turn onto a floured surface. Divide into thirds. Shape into loaves and place in 3 greased loaf pans. Cover and let rise until doubled, about 1 hour. Bake at 350 for 25-30 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from pans to wire racks to cool.

YIELD: 3 loaves

Note: One (0.25-ounce) package of active dry yeast is equal to 2 1/4 teaspoons of yeast in bulk.

Also note: This recipe makes wonderful sweet rolls.

(pictured are my very first :-)  I sent them to work with Ruben)