Recipe: White Bread

2 pkg Active Dry Yeast
3/4 C warm water (105-115 F)
2 c lukewarm milk (scalded then cooled)
3 tbsp sugar
3 tbsp shortening
1 tbsp salt
7 c flour

Dissolve yeast in warm water in large bowl. Stir in milk, sugar, shortening, salt and 4 cups flour. Beat until smooth. Mix in enough remaining flour to make dough easy to handle.

Turn dough onto lightly floured surface; knead until smooth and elastic, about 10 minutes. Place in greased bowl; turn greased side up. Cover and let rise in warm place until double, about 1 hour. (Dough is ready if indentation remains when touched.)

Punch down dough; divide into halves. Roll each half into rectangle, 18x9 inches. Fold 9-inch sides crosswise into thirds, overlapping ends. Roll up tightly, beginning at narrow end. Pinch edge of dough into roll to seal well; press in ends of roll. Press each end with side of hand to seal; fold ends under.

Place loaves seam sides down into 2 greased loaf pans. Brush light with butter. Let rise until doulbe, about 1 hour.

Heat oven to 425. Place loaves on low rack so that tops of pan are in center of oven. Pans shoudl not touch each other or sides of oven. Bake until loaves are deep golden brown and should hollow when tapped, 25 to 30 minutes. Immediately remove from pans. Brush tops of loaves with butter; cool on wire racks.

CINNAMON-RAISIN BREAD: Mix in 1 1/2 cups raisins with the second addition of the flour. Mix 1/4 cups sugar and 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon. After rolling dough into rectangles, sprinkle each with tablespoon water and half of the sugar mixture.

CORNMEAL BREAD: Substitute 1 cup cornmeal for 1 cup of the second addition of flour. Sprinkle greased pans with cornmeal and sprinkle tops of loaves with cornmeal before baking.

HERB BREAD: Stir in 2 tsp caraway seed, 1/2 tsp dried sage leaves and 1/2 tsp ground nutneg with the first addition of flour.

OATMEAL BREAD: Substitute packed brown sugar for granulated sugar. Substitute 1 cup quick-cooking oats for 1 cup of the second addition of flour. Sprinkle greased pans with oats adn sprinkle tops of loaves with oats before baking.

RYE BREAD: Substitute 1/4 cup dark molasses for the sugar. Stir in 2 tbsp caraway seeds with first addition of flour. Substitute 3 to 4 cups rye flour for the second addition of all-purpose flour. Do not roll into rectangles. Shape each half of dough into round loaf, tucking in at bottom to resemble giant mushroom cap. Pinch to seal. Bake on grease cookie sheet.

WHOLE WHEAT BREAD: Substitute 1/4 cup honey for the sugar and whole wheat flour for the all-purpose flour.