I Love This Bread Recipe

I know.  My husband owns a bakery, but I love to make homemade bread at home on occasion.  Actually I make it quite often with 4 big kids that love hot bread with homemade blackberry jam on it.  Sat. we were going to go skiing with the fam, but Jimmy wanted to give his wounds a few more days to heal. ( He was using the treadmill in a very inappropriate way, and ended up getting some very large gouges on his leg, and some huge raspberries in various other locations.  I've told him that a treadmill is only to be used for running or jogging, but James seems to need to test the water.  He's had his road bike on it, and just last week he had the boy's remote control cars racing down it's track.  That's when everything went horribly wrong and he was injured.  It's hard to be sympathetic when it's plain old stupidity that injures your loved one.  At least it wasn't a child hurt...........actually James is my biggest child:) So home we stayed and I enjoyed every minute of it.

First off we had a lovely brekky of waffles with tons of fresh strawberries and mangoes on them.  So tasty!   Then I got in a baking mood.  I figured we needed some hot fresh bread for the day.  My suggestion was unanimously approved.  When I was a kid my mom made homemade bread all the time.  I remember eating Scooble Scobble and loaves of hot bread with butter and honey for dinner on many occasions.  My mom would make a ton of little loaves every time she would bake bread.  Probably half of the loaves would be consumed before the last loaf even had a chance to cool.  We'd eat tons of it.  My mom made the best bread!

When Hollie and I got married, Hollie got a Bosch mixer one year for Christmas.  She needed and wanted to learn to make homemade bread, but I didn't.  I was married to the baker boy, therefore I had an unlimited supply of homemade bread.  This statement is true, but now in my older years I've decided bread baking is necessary to any growing family.  There is a difference in pulling hot loaves out of the oven and bring a loaf home in a paper bag.  I do love being at the bakery in the mornings when the bread is hot and steamy and I love the comments you get from a customer when you hand them a hot slice steaming with goodness.  That's the response I like seeing at home too.   I came upon the recipe a few months ago, and I love the taste.  It makes the best Orange Rolls, and Cinnamon Rolls too.  The three loaves of bread I made didn't make it to see Sunday.  Actually they didn't make it to dinner time.  All three loaves were consumed with great satisfaction.

The Best White Bread 

Courtesy of Allrecipes.com

(numbers in parenthesis are for a 2/3 sized batch)

3 cups warm water (2)

3 tablespoons active dry yeast (2)

3 teaspoons salt (2)

4 tablespoons vegetable oil (3)

1/2 cup white sugar (1/3)

8 cups bread flour (6)

Directions

I you don't have a Bosch or a 5+quart capacity Kitchenaid mixer then reduce the recipe by 1/3. (The numbers in parenthesis) and the recipe will make 2 good loaves.  

In a large bowl, combine warm water, yeast, salt, oil, sugar, and 4 cups flour. Mix thoroughly, and let sponge rise until doubled in size.

Gradually add about 4 cups flour, kneading until smooth. Place dough in a greased bowl, and turn several times to coat. Cover with a damp cloth. Allow to rise until doubled.

Punch down the dough, let it rest a few minutes. Divide dough into three equal parts. Shape into loaves, and place in three 8 1/2 x 4 1/2 inch greased bread pans. Let rise until almost doubled.

Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 35 to 45 minutes. The loaves may need to be covered for the last few minutes with foil to prevent excess browning.