White Bread from Watkins’ Cook Book

(I use to make this before getting everlasting yeast.)

6 scant cups sifted bread flour
1 to 2 cakes compressed yeast
2 cups milk, scalded
2 level tsp. salt
6 level tsp. sugar
4 T. shortening

Milk is preferred to water.  Recipe will make 2 loaves of 1 pound each or 1 pound loaf and 1 dozen rolls.

Crumble yeast cake, and dissolve in small amount of lukewarm milk.  Add salt and sugar. Mix well, and add all of flour.  When partially mixed, add melted shortening.  Mix well with hands.  Keep sides of bow clean. Turn out on slightly floured board, and knead until dough is smooth, elastic, and bubbly at surface.  Cover.  Let rise in warm place 2 to 4 hours, or til double in bulk.  Knead again.  Let stand 45 minutes.  Knead again.  Let stand 15 minutes.  Divide dough for loaves if more than1 loaf is being made.  Put into well greased loaf pans.  Brush top with melted butter.  Allow to rise 1 to 2 hours until light and about doubled in bulk.

Heat oven to 400 degrees.  Bake bread at 400 degrees first 20 minutes, then reduce heat to 350 degrees for a moderately hot oven.  Bake another 40 minutes until bread has browned lightly and shrunk from pan.  Butter top of bread while hot.