Neil's Harbour White Bread
photo by Jan in Lanark
- Ready In:
- 3hrs 20mins
- Ingredients:
- 8
- Yields:
-
3 large loaves or 6 small loaves
ingredients
- 1 cup lukewarm water
- 1 teaspoon white sugar
- 2 tablespoons traditional yeast
- 2 cups lukewarm water
- 1⁄2 cup white sugar
- 1 tablespoon salt
- 1⁄2 cup canola oil or 1/2 cup melted shortening
- 9 cups all-purpose flour
directions
- In a large warmed pottery bowl place the first 1 cup of lukewarm water. Dissolve into it 1 t. white sugar and sprinkle the yeast over it.
- After about 10 minutes the yeast should be frothy and have risen to the surface of the water. Stir until blended, making sure all the yeast is dissolved.
- Into the yeast mixture stir the remaining water, white sugar,1 heaping T. of salt and oil.
- Beat, then stir in, 1 cup at a time, the flour.
- Mix until it requires muscle. You may not need all the flour. The dough should hang together and be easy to handle, but still a little moist.
- On a floured surface, place the dough, sprinkle with more flour as needed, and knead until the dough is smooth and elastic. This usually takes about 8 minutes.
- Place the dough back in the bowl, cover with plastic and a nice heavy towel, and let rise in a warm draft free place. ( I usually only bake bread on sunny days.).
- Let dough rise for 1-2 hours or until it's doubled in size. When you stick your finger in the dough the imprint should remain.
- Punch the dough down and form into loaves.
- Place the loaves into well greased loaf pans, cover and let rise again- about an hour.
- Bake in a 400 degree oven for about 20 minutes, until golden top and bottom, and the loaf sounds hollow when tapped on the bottom.
- Remove from pans and let cool on a rack.
- * To make hamburger buns,roll about 1/2 inch thick, cut the dough with a wide glass(I use the top of a martini shaker)and place buns on a greased cookie sheet, not quite touching. I usually add a good portion of grated old cheddar cheese to the dough before cutting the rounds and letting it rise for the second time. Just before baking at 425 for 10-15 minutes, I make an egg wash with one egg mixed with 1 T. water and sprinkle with sesame seeds, poppy seeds, or for a real treat Montreal Steak Spice. They freeze very well. Makes about 20 buns.
Reviews
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I've been using this bread recipe since the mid 70s. I normally use unbleached white flour, occasionally half mixed with whole wheat. I use Quick Rise yeast and I cut back on the sugar a bit. I don't like to keep flour sitting around too long so I no longer buy the large bags.<br/>This recipe has never let me down and several healings have been reported by people I've given it to although, to be honest, I've lost a few too.
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This is the recipe I ALWAYS use, I'm a big fan of Edna Staebler's books, being from nearby Waterloo. This recipe never fails on me, it always ends up being soft and moist bread inside, a good crust, and never and problems with the rising process, and a very workable dough. Oh, and if you get into More Food That Really Schmecks, you'll find out about the no-kneading variation to this recipe, which is extra nice.