Wednesday, January 16, 2013

Grandma Jensen's Homemade Bread

1/2 cup *warm water
2 packets of yeast (1 envelope of yeast = 2 1/4 tsp. of yeast)

Combine the two ingredients above and set aside. (*The temp of the water has to be PERFECT. Too cold and the yeast won't activate, too hot and it will kill it. Good rule of thumb is to turn on the water until it is warm then quickly pass your finger or hand under the water adjusting accordingly until you can no longer feel a temperature difference between your hand and the water. DO NOT hold your hand in the water to adjust the temperature or your hand will increase or decrease in temperature with the water.. Hope that makes sense. lol)

2 cups hot water
3 TBS. sugar
1 TBS. salt
1/3 cup vegetable oil
6 cups flour

Beat with mixer water, sugar, salt, vegetable oil and all but 3 cups of flour. Add yeast and left over flour until the dough pulls away cleanly from the side of the mixer. (Depending on humidity in the air I have sometimes had to add more flour or less to get it to pull away from the sides of the mixer.) Set aside dough in mixer bowl in a warm place, cover and let rise for 1 hour. Knead it and divide the dough into loaves or rolls (whichever you want to make) and let rise an additional 30 minutes. Bake at 400 degrees.
Bread for 30 mins.
Rolls for 15 mins.
Brush tops of rolls with butter or margarine and serve. :)