Hearty White Bread Recipe
Dry milk powder is not only less expensive than regular milk, but it makes the bread fluffier. Technically, the powder is a “finely divided solid,” which improves mouth feel.
COST PER SERVING ► 10¢
YIELDS ► 4 loaves (or 40 slices)
- ½ cup warm water
- 2 (0.25-ounce) packages active dry yeast
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 4 cups warm water
- ½ cup sugar
- 6 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 cup dry milk powder
- 3 teaspoons salt
- ¼ cup oil
- 5–6 cups all-purpose flour
In large mixing bowl, combine ½ cup water with the yeast and 1 tablespoon sugar. Mix well and let stand for 10 minutes, until foamy.
Add remaining warm water, ½ cup sugar, 6 cups flour, dry milk powder, salt, and oil and beat until smooth. Cover and let rise for 30 minutes.
Stir down batter. Gradually add remaining flour until soft dough forms. Turn out onto lightly floured board and knead until smooth and elastic, about 8 minutes. Place in greased bowl, turning to grease top. Let rise until doubled, about 1½ hours. Punch down again.
Grease four 9″ × 5″ loaf pans with solid shortening and set aside. Divide dough into four parts.
On lightly floured surface, pat or roll each part into a 12″ × 7″ rectangle. Tightly roll up, starting with 7″ side. Place in prepared pans; cover and let rise until doubled, about 35–45 minutes. Preheat oven to 350°F. Bake bread for 30–40 minutes or until golden brown. Turn out onto wire racks to cool.
Freezing Bread
Making big batches of bread and then freezing the results harkens back to Grandma's day — or maybe great-grandma's! Bread freezes beautifully as long as you follow a few rules. First, let the bread cool completely. Then slice it and package the slices in freezer bags. Label the bags and freeze up to 3 months. To thaw, just toast!
