More Yeast Bread Recipes

I'm starting out with a recipe that really covers the basics of bread making (without using a bread machine). Once you start kneading your own bread and getting involved in the process from start to finish you're hooked. Usually a loaf of bread uses 2 to 3 cups of flour. The first recipe makes two or three loaves (depending on how big you want the loaf). You can make dinner roll size buns or hamburger size buns.

Foolproof Yeast Dough:
5 1/2 to 6 cups all-purpose flour
2 pkgs. yeast
1/2 cup sugar
1 1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 cup softened butter
1 1/2 cup hot water
2 eggs
Vegetable oil
Spoon floour into measuring cups, level off with spatula; pour onto wax paper. Combine 2 cups of the flour, dry yeast, sugar and salt in large bowl of electric mixer; blend with wire whip. Add softened butter and hot water. Insert dough hook, beat at medium speed for 2 minutes, scraping bowl occasionally while beating. Add eggs and 1 cup flour; turn mixer speed to high and beat 1 minute or until dough is thick and elastic. Stir in enough of the remaining flour to make a soft dough that leaves sides of mixing bowl clean. Turn dough onto a lightly floured pastry board or cloth. Hand knead 5 minutes or until dough is smooth and elastic. Cover dough with plastic wrap and then a towel. Let it rest at room temperature for 20 minutes. Shape dough following individual recipe directions. Brush dough lightly with vegetable oil, cover pans loosely with plastic wrap; refrigerate 2 to 24 hours. When ready to bake, remove pans, uncover and allow to stand at room temperature 10 minutes while oven preheats to 350 degrees. Bake loaves 30-35 minutes or rolls 20-25 minutes or until golden.

Oatmeal Bread:
1 cup oatmeal
2 cups boiling water
3 Tbsp. butter
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 Tbsp. sugar
2 pkg. yeast
1/2 cup warm water
1 tsp. sugar
5 cups flour
In large bowl, combine 2 cups boiling water, 1 cup oatmeal and 3 Tablespoons butter and cool. Add brown sugar, salt, white sugar, yeast (softened in warm water). Stir and add 1 tsp. sugar; beat in the flour until too stiff to stir. Place onto floured surface and hand knead, adding more flour until it is quite stiff and not sticky. Place in greased bowl and let rise in warm place until doubled in size. Punch down, turn and let rise again. Divide into halves and shape into loaves and rise again until doubled. Bake in a 400 degree oven for about 30 minutes or shape into rolls and bake 25 minutes.

1 Loaf of Basic White Bread:
1 pkg. yeast
3 cups white flour
1 Tbsp. sugar
1 tsp. salt
2 Tbsp. dry milk powder
1 Tbsp. butter
1 1/4 cups warm water
Mix dry ingredients together. Add butter and warm water, mix thoroughly. Turn out onto counter and knead until smooth and satiny. Let rise in greased bowl until double and punch down. Shape into a loaf, put it into a loaf pan and let rise until just above the rim of loaf pan. Preheat oven to 350 degrees, bake bread for 30-35 minutes or until golden and tests done. Remove from pan to finish cooling.

Onion Dill Bread--Mix the following together in a bowl:
1 pkg. yeast
3 1/3 cups flour
1/4 tsp. baking soda
1 1/2 tsp. salt
1 unbeaten egg
In another bowl warm and mix together:
1/4 cup water
3/4 cup cottage cheese
3/4 cup sour cream
3 Tbsp. sugar
3 Tbsp. minced dried onion
2 Tbsp. whole dill seed
1 1/2 Tbsp. butter
Add second bowl of ingredients to the flour mixture. Stir and knead until smooth and satiny. Put into greased bowl, turn over so top is greased. Let rise until doubled, punch down. Let rest 10 minutes while you prepare the baking pan. This can be made into a regular loaf, a round loaf or into individual buns. Bake in 350 degree oven until golden and tests done.

Peanut Butter Bread
1 pkg. yeast
3 cups flour
1/4 cup brown sugar, packed
1/2 cup peanut butter
1 1/4 cups very warm water
Mix ingredients together in mixer with dough hook attachment. If needed keep adding flour in small amounts until loaf cleans the sides of the bowl. Continue kneading with dough hook or remove from bowl and hand knead until smooth and satiny. Put into greased bowl to rise until double. Punch down. Make into a loaf and bake in 350 degree oven for 35 minutes or until it tests done. Try this bread with jam, jelly or spreadable cream cheese--YUM!

You might even try making mini loaves of bread. These are a big hit with children who love having their "own" loaf of bread!