Fluff's Old Fashioned White Bread

Submitted by Chef Acosta

"An over 100 year-old recipe for white bread, from my cousin's grandmother, Fluff. Great for sandwich bread, but makes the most amazing french toast."

 

• Ready In: 3hrs 25mins
• Ingredients: 8
• Yields: 6 mini loaves

ingredients

• 4 1⁄2 teaspoons fast rising yeast (2 envelopes)
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1⁄2 cup water
• 2 tablespoons salt
• 1 cup milk
• 4 tablespoons butter, plus additional for buttering top
• 2 3⁄4 cups water
• 8 cups bread flour (up to 2 cups more if necessary)

directions

1. Proof the yeast.  Add 2 envelopes of fast acting yeast  and 1 tablespoon sugar to 1/2 cup lukewarm water (around 110F).  Mix and set somewhere warm for 15-20 minute  While this is proofing, scald the milk.
2. Place 1 cup milk in a saucepan with 2 tablespoons salt and 4 tablespoons butter.  Bring to just before a boil to scald, then let cool.  Add 2 3/4 cup water.
3. Butter a large deep pan.  Add the yeast and scalded milk mixture to the bowl and combine. Add 8 cups of flour and begin kneading it.  You may need to add up to 2 additional cups flour, depending on the weather.  Knead for 10 minutes.
4. Place buttered plastic wrap over the bowl and set aside to rise somewhere warm for about an hour, or until is doubles in size.
5. After an hour, punch down and let it rise again.
6. Divide dough into 6 balls.  Butter the bread pans and place each ball into the pans.  Set all the mini pans on a cookie sheet and loosely cover with plastic wrap to let rise again until doubled in size (about 45 min to an hour).  Preheat your oven to 400 F sometime before the next step.
7. Bake at 400 F for 25 minutes until golden brown.
8. Remove from oven and rub the tops of each loaf with a stick of butter.  Remove from pans and stands on ends to cool.