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["Mix shortening, salt, and sugar in a large bowl for about 2 minutes.", "Do not worry if the shortening does not completely melt, but make a good attempt.", "Add the hot milk and water.", "Let cool to lukewarm.", "In a small bowl, mix yeast with 1/4 cup water.", "Let stand 5 minutes.", "Add 3 cups flour and yeast all at once and mix until well blended.", "Add 2 more cups of flour, one cup at a time, mixing until blended well.", "Pour dough onto lightly floured board.", "(It will not actually""pour,"" so scrape out remnants with a spatula or potlicker.) Knead for two minutes with floured hands.", "Let rest for ten minutes.", "Dough will be very sticky.", "Adding enough of the remaining flour to keep the dough from sticking, knead the dough until smooth, elastic, and pliable (about 8-10 minutes.) Place the dough in a large, greased bowl, turning once to grease.", "Cover and allow to rise in a warm spot for about an hour or until doubled in bulk.", "Punch dough down and let rise to previous size and perhaps a little bigger (about 30-45 minutes.) Split dough into two halves.", "Place each half in a loaf pan and cover.", "Allow to rise until doubled in bulk (anywhere from 30 minutes to 1 1/2 hours) Bake in 425 degree oven for 15 minutes.", "Remove from oven and cover in a cloth.", "Change oven heat to 375 and bake for 15 minutes.", "Remove pan from oven and immediately remove from pan.", "Knock lightly on the bottom of the loaf.", "If a hollow sound is made, bread is done.", "If not, return to the pan and bake 5-15 minutes.", "Allow to cool for 30 minutes before slicing.", "Notes for great crusts: For a hard, crisp crust, brush the top with cold water three or four times while baking.", "For a soft crust, brush with cold milk or melted butter before baking.", "For a shiny crust, brush a mixture of egg yolk and one tbsp milk on bread before baking."]
