Farmers Market Bread

Ingredients

7 teaspoons yeast

1 cup sugar

2 tablespoons salt

1 cup lard

14 cups flour

Dissolve yeast into 1 cup water and allow to foam (5 minutes)

Mix remaining water with sugar, salt and lard

Add yeast mixture and 4 cups of the flour. Let stand for 1 hour.

Mix in remaining flour and turn onto floured surface

Knead until elastic

Cover and let rise for 1 hour

Punch down and rise a second time (1 hour)

Divide dough into 6 equal pieces

Form loaves and place in greased pans

Let rise till double

Bake 325 for 30 minutes

Turn out immediately onto rack to cool

For softer crust, brush with butter while hot

This recipe is rock solid. I make it almost every week of the year. Try brushing with melted butter/honey mixture for a change of pace.

8 servings

Thursday, June 23, 2011 - 6:52am