Wednesday, April 28, 2010

White bread

this is the recipe for the bread I made when the kids were growing up.

some notes to be added to it,

lukewarm is close to the temperature of the inside of your wrist.

it says shortening but in this house that can be anything from lard,bacon grease,butter or crisco(few and far between)

I've lowered the sugar to 1/4 cup or even switched it to splenda using their guidelines but I wouldn't go less than 1/4 cup.

flour...I use bread flour for a heavier loaf(filled the bottomless pits up better) to all-purpose flour (for hubby and me). I've also used less than 7 cups to make the dough and a few times more than 8. Flour depends on moisture in the air etc when it comes to amounts you will add.

figure 10 minutes for kneading and I have used a rolling pin to "beat" the dough instead of just kneading it.

you can freeze this dough when you get it to the point of putting it in the pan to raise. Just shove it in the freezer in loaves.When you are ready for it, thaw in greased loaf pan and let rise then bake as you would if it hadn't been frozen.


WHITE BREAD


½ CUP LUKEWARM (105-110 DEGREES) WATER

1 TABLESPOON OF YEAST (OR 1 PACKAGE)

1 TEASPOON OF SUGAR

2 CUPS OF LUKEWARM (105-110 DEGREES) WATER

½ TEASPOON SALT

1/3 CUP SUGAR

2 TABLESPOONS SHORTENING

7-8 CUPS OF FLOUR

IN A MEASURING CUP, DISSOLVE YEAST AND TEASPOON OF SUGAR INTO ½ CUP WATER, LET IT REST 5 MINUTES.

IN A LARGE CONTAINER, MIX THE 2 CUPS OF WATER WITH THE SALT, 1/3 CUP SUGAR AND SHORTENING.

ADD YEAST MIXTURE TO LARGE CONTAINER

GRADUALLY ADD FLOUR.

KNEAD UNTIL SMOOTH AND ELASTIC.

PLACE INTO GREASED BOWL (CONTAINER), COVER AND SET IN WARM PLACE (OUT OF DRAFTS) TO RISE UNTIL DOUBLE.

PUNCH DOWN AND FLIP OVER.

LET RISE AGAIN.

PUT IN 2 LARGE BREAD PANS OR 3 MEDIUM BREAD PANS THAT HAVE BEEN GREASED

LET RISE UNTIL DOUBLE AGAIN

BAKE AT 350 DEGREES FOR 30 MINUTES.

ME ME ME

It's Wednesday. This is the day I try to take time for myself...you know the woman...no not the wife, the mother, the daughter, the friend ,the employer, the employee or what ever...time for the woman, me, myself and I.

OF COURSE I still have to do the laundry, cook the dinner, do my work (which isn't making a dime at the moment)wheither or not the "woman" is screaming for chinese take out or dinner at a real Italian restuarant, a new pleasure romantic book she hasn't read fifty million times already, a manicure and pedicure that she isn't giving to herself, flowers, candles and old soft rock music. Just naming a few there.

I want to curl in bed with junk food, good movies and a good book( so much for that because I have to wear 2 different pairs of glasses to do that)

I want to soak in a BIG bathtub that doesn't have doors on the tub.

I want I want I want...

why does that remind me of a whiney child??? LOL

so instead since I will be at the computer for most of the day. I decided to use the laptop. I can move it around the house and at least sit in the sun and pretend it is warm out.

So do something for your self that will make you smile today...have a ME DAY

Blessed Be