Brown Bread

This is my mother-in-laws famous brown bread recipe. We find these rolls at every family gathering! I reach for this recipe over and over again when we are craving bread for it has so few ingredients and so easy to make. My kids make a meal out of it in the mornings especially when they get to slather their own homemade strawberry jam over the top! Makes 3 loaves or 48 rolls

• Ready In: 3 hrs 45 mins
• Serves: 48
• Yields: 3 loaves

Ingredients

• 3 3⁄4 cups warm water
• 1⁄4 cup warm water (100 to 110 degrees F)
• 1 1⁄2 tablespoons salt
• 1  cup molasses
• 1⁄2 cup  melted  Crisco
• 1  fresh yeast cakes or 3  teaspoons dry yeast
• 1  teaspoon sugar
• 6 -10  cups flour

Directions

1. Mix the yeast, sugar, and 1/4 cup of warm water.
2. Let sit for 5 minutes.
3. (Yeast is good if it foams!) In large bowl combine water, salt, molasses, and Crisco.
4. Stir until salt dissolves.
5. Add the yeast mixture and stir well.
6. Sift in 6 cups of flour and stir until mixed well.
7. Keep adding flour until mixture becomes too hard to stir.
8. Flop the dough onto a well floured surface and knead 6-8 minutes.
9. Place dough in large greased bowl, cover, set in warm place and let raise until double in size.
10. Punch dough down and with greased hands form into 3 loaves and place in greased loaf pans or form into approx.
11. 48 rolls and place in greased pans.
12. Preheat oven to 350.
13. Let formed dough rise.
14. Cook in preheated oven at 350 for 40-45 minutes.
15. Let bread/rolls sit in pans for 5-10 minutes then finish cooling on wire racks.
16. Brush butter over the tops and ENJOY!