-
1
Pour 1/4 cup warm water into a large mixing bowl.
-
2
Sprinkle 1/4 ounce yeast and the pinch of sugar over the water.
-
3
Stir, and then let the mixture stand for 5 minutes until the yeast grains dissolve and the liquid looks smooth.
-
4
As the yeast melts, some foamy islands will form on the surface, which mean the yeast is alive and growing.
-
5
Put 1 tablespoon butter in a small saucepan on a burner and turn the heat to low.
-
6
When the butter has almost all melted add the milk and continue to heat until the butter is completely melted and the milk is warm.
-
7
Take the pan off the stove and test the milk to make sure it isnt too hot for the yeast.
-
8
Stick your finger quickly into the milk; if you can hold it there and the liquid feels just warm, thats fine, but if it feels very hot, let it cool for 5 minutes, and then add the milk-butter mixture to the yeast mixture.
-
9
Add the 2 teaspoons sugar, the 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, and 2 1/2 cups of the flour to the yeast and milk mixture.
-
10
Save the remaining 1/2 cup flour for the next few steps.
-
11
Stir well with a large spoon to mix together the liquid and dry ingredients.
-
12
Sprinkle a little flour onto a cutting board.
-
13
Scoop up the dough with your hands and gently press it into a ball, if it feels too sticky to handle, put it back in the bowl, add a little more flour, and work that into the dough by squeezing and patting Dont worry about not mixing the flour in completely: Kneading will take care of that.
-
14
Put the ball of dough on the board.
-
15
Sprinkle a little more flour on top of the dough and begin kneading it.
-
16
Kneading dough gives it strength, so the air bubbles that the yeast create stay trapped inside the loaf and make the bread light.
-
17
Press down on the dough with the heel of your palms, pushing it away from you.
-
18
Fold the dough back toward yourself, give it a quarter-turn, and repeat.
-
19
As you knead, add a sprinkle of flour when the dough becomes sticky, but dont add too much; use only as much as you need to keep the dough from sticking to your hands and the board.
-
20
The dough will look and feel smooth and stretchy (a little like bubble gum after youve chewed it a while).
-
21
It will feel springy and almost alive under your fingers.
-
22
Keep Kneading for 5 minutes.
-
23
(Dont cheat on this step.
-
24
The dough needs to be kneaded.
-
25
In fact, you cant knead it too much.)
-
26
Gather the dough into a ball.
-
27
Then to test whether you have kneaded enough, poke the dough with your index finger, and if the dough springs back and the hole disappears, youve kneaded enough.
-
28
Grease a large mixing bowl with vegetable shortening and put your dough in it.
-
29
Cover the bowl with plastic wrap.
-
30
Now the dough will begin to rise.
-
31
Let it rise until it is twice as big as its original size.
-
32
(Some people say, until it has doubled in bulk.)
-
33
Depending on how warm your room is, the rising will take an hour or more.
-
34
Be patient.
-
35
Grease the inside of a 6-by 3 1/2-by 2-inch bread pan with vegetable shortening.
-
36
When the dough in the bowl is about twice as big as when you put it into the bowl, punch it down in several places.
-
37
Punching knocks the air out of the dough.
-
38
Spread a small handful of flour in a big circle on a board.
-
39
Turn the dough out of the bowl onto the floured board and cut it in half.
-
40
Half the dough is for the loaf of bread, and the other half is for a pizza.
-
41
The bread dough needs to be shaped into a loaf, which then rises one more time in its pan.
-
42
You can use the other half of the dough to make a pizza while the loaf of bread is rising again, or you can wrap the pizza dough in plastic, refrigerate it, and make a pizza later.
-
43
(But use the dough within a day.)
-
44
Form the loaf of bread by patting the dough into a little football shape that will fit into the 6- by 3 1/2- by 2- inch bread pan.
-
45
Put it into the pan and smooth the top with your hands to make it even.
-
46
The dough should come halfway up the sides of the pan.
-
47
If it looks lumpy or rough, pat it with your fingers to smooth it.
-
48
Cover the pan loosely with a towel and let the dough rise to the top of the pan or a little over.
-
49
Depending on how warm or cold your room is, it will take this loaf anywhere from 30 to 60 minutes to rise that much.
-
50
After 15 minutes turn your oven on to 350F.
-
51
So it will be ready to bake your bread Set the rack in the middle of the oven.
-
52
When the dough has risen all the way to the top of the pan, you are ready to bake your bread.
-
53
Remove the towel and check.
-
54
(If you baked, a pizza while the bread was rising, be sure to turn the oven down to 350F.)
-
55
Put the baking pan in the oven and set the timer for 35 minutes.
-
56
After 35 minutes, check your bread.
-
57
If it is golden brown on top, it is done.
-
58
If not, bake another 5 to 10 minutes until it is.
-
59
When the loaf is done, use pot holders to remove the pan from the oven.
-
60
Then turn the loaf out of the pan onto a rack and let it cool at least 10 minutes before, you slice it.
