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RICH YEAST BREAD

This is my favorite basic loaf of bread. It has a light yellow crumb, is easily made, and very forgiving when simple steps are followed. It can be baked ahead, sliced and stored in the freezer for a week or so with no change in texture or flavor. It is ideal to have on hand for use whenever bread is needed to complete your meal.

INGREDIENTS

1 cup hot milk

1/4 pound butter

1/3 cup sugar

1 tsp salt

1 Tbsp dry yeast

3 large eggs

3 1/2 cups all purpose flour - I like soft winter wheat flour (White Lily) for this loaf.

Mix hot milk, butter, sugar, salt and let cool. Stir yeast into 1/4 cup warm water (120-degrees). This is important; use a thermometer. If your mixture is too hot, it will kill the yeast; if too cool, the yeast will not act quickly enough.

Let mixture stand for 5 minutes to dissolve and start to bubble. Add yeast mixture and eggs to first mixture and beat vigorously in mixer using paddle.

Using dough hook, gradually add flour and mix well. The dough will be very soft, almost a batter.

Cover and let rise in a warm place, until about double in bulk. Preheat oven to 425-degrees.

Bake for about 50 minutes until bread seems done and skewer inserted in center is clean when removed.

I cook this loaf in a buttered, 10-inch, dark, non-stick tube pan. It cooks a little more quickly than the stated cooking time, and the tube seems to promote more even cooking at the center.

This loaf seems to avoid many of the complications and pitfalls that are discouraging to new bread makers. Try it and enjoy the aroma and flavor of a beautiful loaf of home-made, from scratch bread from your kitchen with a minimum of trouble.

Learn more about this author, Joan Mccord.
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