Making Bread

Today was cloudy and I did not have much energy so I chose to make bread and rolls.  This post is for my children...this is how to make the rolls and bread that you have eaten your whole life....
.Gather your mixer, yeast, flour canister, salt, shortening, stick of butter, sugar, large glass bowl, mix each stage well

2 tables yeast
7-8 cups of flour
1/4 cup sugar
2 1/2 warm water
2 teaspoons of salt
about 1/2 c shortening
1 stick of butter
preheat oven to 375 when the dough is raising the second time
extra cinnamon and sugar for monkey balls.

Add 2 1/2 cups warm water, 2 tablespoons of yeast or 2 packages, about 1/4 c sugar and about 2 cups of all purpose flour.  

 (  water is a hot warm...you can put your finger in but not get burnt but it is very warm.)

sugar feeds the yeast.  My bread is usually a little sweet...because I love sweet everything...I usually let these ingredients mix on low speed for a few minutes...by the way, I use the dough hook.  Don't try to enlarge this recipe or it will go over the beater and you end up with a mess....

I use 2 small packages yeast sometimes but I purchased at Sams this last time and got 2 large packages of yeast.  Notice that I keep it in a zip lock bag.

add 2 teaspoon of salt
 and  about 1/2 c shortening
  add another 2 cups of flour


Stop your mixer when adding dry ingredients to prevent messes in the kitchen

Continue mixing on a slow speed

I use a large tablespoon like this for shortening...I will just call it 1/2 cup

Let all the ingredients mix on a slow speed.  Continue to add flour until the dough pulls away from the side of the bowl.

added another cup of flour

needs more flour...add 1/3 cup at a time until the dough pulls away from bowl.

is ready, pulling away from sides of bowl.

grease the glass bowl and leave some extra melted butter in bottom of bowl.  Make the dough into a nice smooth ball and roll it in the butter

Bowl on left is smooth and round, the bowl  on right needs to be kneaded more into a smooth ball.  

cover with tea towels and let raise in a warm place until dough almost doubles in size.

At this point, punch the dough down and shape it into loaves to fit your greased pan...make loaf about 1/2 size of pan.
Light rolls are rolled into small balls about the size of tennis ball or smaller, roll in melted butter and put them on a greased pan.

Let your rolls or loaves double in size
Bake in a 375 degree preheated oven

You can also make delicious monkey bread by dipping each ball of dough in melted butter and then rolling each ball into a mixture of sugar and cinnamon.   Fill the pan 1/2 full...see how it raised over the top.  

I rolled out 1/2 batch of dough about the size of my cake pan.  Brushed with warm melted butter, covered with sugar and cinnamon mixture, roll it up lengthwise and slice into about 1 inch slices.  In the center I put about 1 tablespoon of apple pie jam, let it raise double...bake...about 18 minutes or until light brown and smelling sooooo good.   Let cool and put on icing.  

Bake at 375 degrees.

I pull the rolls and loaves out  of the oven when they are light brown, brush on butter and put in the oven until a golden brown.


When funds were slim I knew I could make you rolls or bread...then we all had full stomachs, almost felt rich.  I also cherished the times we sat at the table together, you all talked and teased each other, and always told me how much you loved the rolls.
I was blessed to have Grandmother Cooper prepare light rolls about every Sunday and she put a large dinner on the table every Sunday until she physically couldn't do it any longer.

I also enjoyed watching Wyatt sit and eat roll after roll with butter and honey.

I wanted to leave this recipe for you so that my grandchildren could pass this bread recipe down to their children and have good family memories too.
I want to leave this recipe to you but also and more importantly  need you to know God..

I love you all and have wonderful dreams for you...children, children-in-laws,  and grandchildren...you are my life, then, now and forever.  I pray day and night that you and your homes are blessed with peace, love, joy, good health, and prosperity.
Love you
Nana