This is my basic, “use for everything” recipe – communion bread, sandwich bread, cinnamon bread/buns, etc. It’s a very sweet dough so lower the sugar if it’s intended for something a bit more savory.
The recipe is immensely quick – less than two hours from start to finish. There are some drawbacks to this; it’s very sweet and yeasty, but doesn’t have time to develop any of the rich artisan flavors developed by the use of less yeast and more time nor does it have a developed crust or crumb (which is actually less messy than many alternatives if it is to be used for communion). Every sacrifice has it’s payoff; but this one is well worth it for occasional use.
Preheat oven to 350º (do this NOW, don’t wait! This recipe goes FAST.)
Mix:
2 c. warm Water (for a richer dough, use milk; for an even richer dough, add an egg)
2-3 Tbs. Sugar
2-3 Tbs. Oil or melted Butter
1 – 1 ½ tsp. Salt
2 Tbs. Yeast (yes… 2 TBS!)
Add:
5-7 cups Flour or enough to make a medium, kneadable dough.
Knead 8-12 minutes or until smooth and elastic.
Let rise 30-40 minutes or until doubled.
Knead 1 minute.
Divide into 2 loaves.
Let rest 1 minute.
Shape into desired loaf type (can be baked on a lightly oiled sheet or in a well-greased loaf pan).
Let rise 20 minutes or until doubled.
Score.
Bake at 350º for 30 minutes or until golden brown and tapping the bottom produces a “hollow” sound. Optionally, brush with egg white half way through.
Cool on a wire rack.
Note: Be careful shaping and scoring. This recipe has a LOT of oven spring, any abnormality in shape or cut will be VERY visible on the baked loaf.
Note2: If you have the time, decrease the yeast to 1 Tbs. and lengthen the rising times; it improves the texture.
Enjoy!
Grace and Peace,
`tim
