Cool-rise White Bread

Total Time: 1 hr Preparation Time: 30 mins Cook Time: 30 mins

Ingredients

• 5 1/2-6 1/2 cups flour
• 2 (1/4 ounce) packets dry yeast (or cakes of yeast)
• 1/2 cup water, warm (105-115 degrees)
• 1 3/4 cups milk, warm (105-115 degrees)
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1 tablespoon salt
• 3 tablespoons shortening
• cooking oil

Recipe

• 1 measure flour into a large bowl.
• 2 in another large, warm mixing bowl, sprinkle or crumble yeast into warm water.
• 3 stir until dissolved.
• 4 add warm milk, sugar, salt, shortening to yeast mixture.
• 5 stir in 2 cups of flour.
• 6 beat with electric mixer until smooth (1 minute).
• 7 add 1 cup more flour. beat vigorously with wooden spoon until smooth (150 strokes). scrape sides of bowl.
• 8 stir in 2-1/2 to 3 cups of remaining flour gradually.
• 9 turn out on floured board. form into a ball.
• 10 knead 5 to 10 minutes or until dough is smooth, elastic and is no longer sticky.
• 11 divide dough into 2 equal portions.
• 12 cover with plastic wrap then a clean dish towel.
• 13 let rest for 20 minutes.
• 14 punch down.
• 15 shape each portion into a loaf.
• 16 place in greased 8-1/2 x 4-1/2 x 2-5/8 inch bread pans.
• 17 brush surface of dough with oil.
• 18 cover pans loosely with oiled wax paper and plastic wrap.
• 19 place pans of dough in the refrigerator.
• 20 refrigerate for 2 to 48 hours.
• 21 remove from the refrigerator and uncover.
• 22 let stand for 10 minutes while preheating oven.
• 23 using a greased toothpick, puncture any surface on dough.
• 24 bake at 400 degres for 30-40 minutes or until done (should sound hollow when thumped).
• 25 remove from pans immediately.
• 26 brush top of loaves with butter if desired.
• 27 cool on wire racks.