Of course, I stupidly submitted this a moment ago under the wrong thread.....DUH!!!!!
I am an admitted bread machine “cheater.” I use the machine to mix the dough and bring it through the first rise, then I go conventional for the last knead, shaping into loaves, and placing in bread pans to bake in my oven.
This is my favorite recipe, that makes a coarse-textured bread that is sooooo tender, and best cut into thick slices. Warning: since I don’t use my machine beyond the first rise cycle, notice that this recipe IS TOO LARGE and must be divided (easily done) – it makes two loaves.
1 cup milk
½ cup shortening
¼ cup sugar
1 tsp. salt
4 tsp. (or 2 packets) active dry yeast
¼ cup warm water (115 degrees)
3 large eggs, beaten
4 cups bread flour, divided.
Combine and heat the first four ingredients in a saucepan until shortening melts, stirring occasionally. Cool to 115 degrees (F).
Dissolve the yeast into the 1/4 cup water and allow to stand for 5 minutes.
Combine the milk mixture, yeast mixture, 2 cups of the flour and the eggs in the bread machine and allow to mix well. Gradually add the remaining 2 cups flour until the dough has pulled away from the sides of the pan and has formed a ball. (At this point, I restart my bread machine to begin the cycle all over again…to proceed through kneading and the first rise cycles.)
Grease two loafpans. Remove the risen dough from the bread machine, turn out onto a lightly floured surface, and knead for 5 minutes. Divide dough in half. Shape each half into a fat roll and place into the prepared pans. Brush loaves with melted butter. Cover loosely with a damp cloth and allow to rise 1 hour, or until dough almost reaches the tops of the pans.
Preheat oven to 350-degrees. Bake for 30 to 40 minutes, until the loaves sound hollow when thumped. Remove the bread from the pans and cool on wire racks.
