Last summer, my husband and I paid a visit to his grandparents who live in a small farm town in Iowa. As a gal who lives in a bustling city, it was a lot of fun to stay in an actual farmhouse. His grandparents are a simply adorable couple whose love allowed them to raise seven children together. It is amazing how grandma was able to feed all of those children! A family favorite that is a must-have when folks come to visit is grandma’s famous homemade bread. While she was toasting bread for supper one night, everyone was raving about how good the bread is and how much I was going to love it.
I have always wanted to learn how to make bread. In fact, I had recently investigated getting a bread maker for that very activity. I was happy to finally find someone who might be willing to teach me the tricks of homemade bread making, especially if I did not have to invest in heavy machinery. I asked the siblings if anyone knew how to make the bread and was surprised to find that while everyone really enjoyed the bread, no one had actually learned from their mom how to make it. Naturally, I had to ask if she would give me a lesson. She was willing to teach and it was my honor to learn the art of breadmaking from this loving matriarch a few days later.
I watched her do her thing as she spoke the steps she had done a million times before, her technique more muscle memory than anything else. The bread really is fantastic and I knew I was going to make a few loaves the moment I got home and collected the ingredients, which are as follows:
Recipe makes two loaves
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8 cups flour
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6 teaspoons dry yeast
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1 ½ teaspoon salt
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⅔ cup crysco
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3 ½ cups room temperature water
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6 tablespoons sugar
First mix the yeast with the sugar and a small amount of water. Set aside for about ten minutes or until it bubbles
- Add salt and water to yeast
- Adding only a little flour at a time turn mixture until it forms a firm dough
- Once the dough has a stiff consistency, form it into a ball and leave it covered in the bowl to rise for about an hour
After about an hour, punch dough down, separate it and form the loaves on a floured surface by grabbing the sides and curling them to the underside of the loaf. Place in pan and let rise covered for about an hour
Bake bread at 350 degrees fahrenheit for about 30-40 minutes or until golden brown. The big time variation is to compensate for the fact that all ovens cook differently, some faster than others
Allow bread to cool before slicing. Place in freezer bags to store
This bread is simple yet delicious! I have served it to friends and family who all really enjoyed its basic flavor and moist texture. Also, to make it extra yummy, try toasting it and spreading softened butter over the toast. It is guaranteed to please your taste buds and fill your tummy. If you are going to try your hand at baking bread, I definitely recommend trying this recipe. It could easily become a family favorite!
By Tara, Free Stuff Finder Contributor
