Best Bread Recipes

I keep getting asked for my favorite bread recipes now people are more interested in learning how to make their own bread so I thought I would also post them. I have tried a lot of recipes, am an award winning cook and Taste of Home field editor. I hope you like these recipes - they are delicious and versatile.

Country White Bread with Variations

2 pkgs active dry yeast
2 cups warm water (110-115 degrees)
? cup sugar
1 tbsp salt
2 eggs, beaten
? cup vegetable oil
6 ? - 7 cups flour

In large mixing bowl, dissolve yeast in water. Add sugar, salt, eggs, oil, and 3 cups of flour. Beat until smooth. Stir in enough flour to form a soft dough. Turn onto a lightly floured board and knead until smooth and elastic ? about 6-8 minutes. Place in a greased bowl and turn to grease top. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled ? about an hour. Punch dough down. Divide in half and shape into loaves. Place in two 9x5? greased loaf pans. Cover and let rise until doubled, about an hour. Bake at 375 degrees for 25-30 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from pans and cool.
Rolls: Shape into rolls. Bake 375 for 20 min.
Pizza: Bake at 400 for 20-25 min.
Raisin ? add 1-2 cups raisins and ? tsp. cinnamon.
Cheese ? add 1 cup shredded cheese, 1 cloved minced garlic, 1 tsp. caraway seed
Cinnamon Swirl: roll out and brush with butter and sprinkle with mixture of ? cup sugar and 1 tsp. cinnamon.


Wonderful White Bread (tastes like Great Harvest!)

3 Tbsp instant yeast
2 1/2 cups warm water (110-115 degrees)
1/3 cup sugar
1 1/2 tbsp salt
? cup powdered milk
? cup instant potato flakes
3 eggs, beaten
1/3 cup vegetable oil
6-7 cups flour

Combine ingredients in mixer adding flour as needed until dough is sticky. Knead until smooth and elastic ? about 6-8 minutes. Place in a greased bowl and turn to grease top. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled ? about 45-60 minutes. Punch dough down. Shape into 3 loaves and place in greased loaf pans. Cover and let rise again. Bake at 350 degrees for 40-45 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from pans and cool.
Optional: shape into rolls, bake 15-20 minutes.
This dough is good made into pizza dough, cinnamon rolls, etc.

Wonderful Honey Wheat Bread (great flavor, uses food storage items)

About 7 cups wheat flour (5 cups wheat ground)
3 cups white flour
? cup powdered milk
3 tbsp. instant yeast
? cup oil
2 tbsp. salt
? cup honey

Combine ? cup powdered milk with cold water to make 2 cups. Stir to dissolve and then scald by bringing just to the boiling point. Combine yeast in 2 cups warm water. Let stand 10 minutes. Combine in bread mixer the scalded milk, salt, oil, honey, and wheat flour. Stir mixture just enough to cool the milk (warm temp) so the yeast can be safely added. Add the yeast mixture and 3 cups of white flour. Knead dough for 15 minutes and place in 3 large or 4 medium well greased loaf pans. Allow bread to rise until above the pans ? about 30-45 minutes. Bake at 400 degrees for 15 minutes. Lower oven temperature to 350 degrees and bake 20 minutes more. Remove bread from pans and cool on a wire rack. To keep the top of the bread from getting too brown, lay a large piece of tin foil over the top of the bread when you reduce the oven temperature.

Note: You can vary the amount of wheat and white flour ratios in this recipe as long as the total flour equals 10 cups. You can even use total whole wheat flour. Do not add more than 10 cups or the bread will be dry. As the bread kneads it will lose its tackiness and start to pull away from the side of the bowl and you?ll see additional flour is not necessary.