Homemade white bread made with egg

This was a fun recipe to do with my kids.  There is nothing quite so nice as the smell of bread baking, except that first piece of hot bread covered in butter – as soon as it comes from the oven.  We made this last night – and the family ate an entire loaf before going to bed.

Needed:

Between 7 and 8 cups of sifted all-purpose flour

½ cup sugar

1 tablespoon salt

1 package of active dry yeast (about 8 oz or 2 teaspoons)

2 ½ cups hot water (between 120 – 130 so hot but not boiling)

½ cup lard or shortening (we used vegetable shortening)

1 egg beaten

A bowl, something to cover it with (tea towel works), bread pans (or cookie sheet for free style shapes or pie tins for round loafs).

In a large bowl mix in 3 cups of flour, sugar, salt and active dry yeast.  We sifted the 3 cups flour, sugar and salt together, added the yeast and mixed with spoon.

Combine in a second container the hot water and lard or shortening.  The shortening does not need to melt, though my husband did suggest next time we put the water and shortening together first to give the shortening a chance to melt.  We just broke the shortening up into smaller pieces in the water and let sit for a few minutes.

Slowly add the water and lard or shortening mix to the dry ingredients.  Beat for about 2 minute is using a mixer.  Use the bread hook attachment, not the regular mixer attachments.  Or mix by hand, for longer.

Add the beaten egg and 1 more cup of sifted all-purpose flour.  If using the mixer beat for about ½ a minute on low (so flour does not end up everywhere but the bowl) then mix on high for about 3 more minutes.  Or mix by hand until the dough is well mixed (no dry flour and looks like to dough).
Slowly add in the last 3 to 4 cups of all-purpose flour.  It is important to add the flour slowly because you may not need it all.  We used just over 3 cups this time.  We did not use the mixer for this part (though you can).  We mixed the last 3 plus cups of flour in by hand, not spoon but actually put our hands in the bowl and worked the flour it.  It is easier to know when to stop adding flour by feel then mixing it in and trying to tell by looking.  This is a skill developed by making bread, and it will take a few batches to learn it. 
 
Lightly flour a board or clean counter top.  Knead the bread until it is smooth and elastic (about 10 min).  If you have no kneaded bread before there are many websites that will show pictures or videos to demonstrate the different techniques.  Eventually you will develop your own kneading style that will continue to improve as you make more bread.

Form a ball with the dough and place into the mixing bowl.  Some people like to use a clean bowl and add flour or butter to the sides so the dough does not stick.  I find using the same bowl is fine as long as there is flour on the sides.  Cover with cloth, cheese cloth is recommended but we used clean tea towels.  You want to make sure nothing gets into the dough, but it can still breath so don’t use a lid or plastic wrap. 

Leave dough in a warm (not hot or cold area) for about an hour or two.  The dough will rise.  You want it to double in size (so keep an eye on it).  Knead again or punch the air out.  Shape and place into greased baking pans.  We did one regular shaped bread pan, one in a round cake pan and did 4 mini free shaped loafs in a larger cake pan (they looked like little ½ foot balls and did not touch).  The kids loved the mini loafs.

Cover and leave dough in a warm (not hot or cold area) for about an hour or two. The dough will rise again. You want it to double in size again(so keep an eye on it).

Put baking pans into the cold oven.  Turn heat on to 400 degrees (in Canada, not sure what it is in the US).  After 15 minutes turn down to 375 degrees.  Bake for about 25 minutes longer.  Our bread was done at about 18 minutes because our oven runs a bit hot.  To test for doneness see if the bread has pulled away from the baking pan.  If it has pulled away from the edge take the bread out of the oven, flip over and let the bread loaf come out of the baking pan.  Then tap the bottom of the loaf, if you hear a hollow sound the bread is done.  If not put back into the oven for a little longer.  Let the bread cool before storing.  –Recommendation – cut a slice right away, don’t worry about how big it is, just cut and cover with butter. Yum.

You may want to brush a little melted butter to the top of the bread loafs when they come out of the over, before they cool.  A trick my Mom always did.