2 cups water
3 Tbsp. oil
1 tsp. salt
4 Tbsp. granulated sugar
8 cups bread flour (may need more)
2 pkg. Fleishmann's dry yeast
1/2 cup warm water
1 tsp. granulated sugar
Combine first 5 ingredients in small saucepan. Heat til quite warm. Dissolve yeast in the 1/2 cup warm water with 1 tsp. sugar. When frothy looking, which takes just a few minutes, add to warm milk mixture. Pour into very large warm mixing bowl. Add flour a couple cups at a time, kneading well after each addition. Place in large greased bowl; grease top lightly with oil. Cover with wax paper. Allow to raise in warmed oven til double in size, about 30 minutes. Reshape into 4 loaves and place in greased bread pans. Oil tops lightly. Cover with wax paper. Allow to raise to desired loaf size. Bake in 400 degree preheated oven til bread sounds hollow when tapped on top. Yield: 4 loaves
Directions for bread machine: I half ALL ingredients as I have found that my machine handles 2 loaves very well. Combine first 5 ingredients (halved) plus 1/4 cup of water in small saucepan and heat til warm and sugar is dissolved. Pour into bread machine pan. Add the flour, making indentation in top. Add 1 pkg. yeast in center. (No need to add the tsp. of sugar.) Start machine. I just set my machine on the dough setting as I prefer to raise the dough in bread pans (as directed above) and bake in conventional oven at 400 degrees. Yield: 2 loaves
