INGREDIENTS

INSTRUCTIONS

Baking pans: 2 medium (8-1/2"x4-1/2") loaf pans, greased ot Teflon.  By
hand or mixer: 8 minutes. Warm the milk in a saucepan to soften the
shortening or butter for a few moments. Add the salt and the lukewarm
water. Add the yeast and sugar and stir to dissolve.  Stir in 2 cups
flour and beat for 3 minutes at medium speed in an  electric mixer or
150 strong strokes with a wooden spoon. Gradually  add 2 more cups
flour, and continue beating for 3 minutes--or 150  strokes.  Note:
While the entire mixing and kneading mixing and kneading  operation can
be done in the electric mixer, I like to judge the feel  of the dough
by hand before turning the job over to a dough hook.)  Turn off the
mixer and add about 2 more cups flour. Work it in with a  spoon, and
when it becomes stiff, with your hands. When the dough has  a rough
form and is cleaning the sides of the mixing bowl, turn it  out on the
floured work surface.  Knead for about 8 minutes with a strong
push-turn-fold motion.  Occasionally throw the dough hard against the
work surface  (stimulates the gluten). Or replace the dough in the
mixer bowl and  put under the dough hook for an equal length of time.
By processor: 10 minutes. Place 2 cups flour in the work bowl and  then
add the other ingredients, as above. Pulse several times to  thoroughly
mix. Remove the cover and add 2 more cups flour. Replace  the cover and
pulse to blend. Add remaining flour through feed tube,  pulsing after
each addition, until the dough begins to room and is  carried around
the bowl by the force of the blade. Turn on the  machine to knead for
45 seconds.  Shaping: 10 minutes. Divide the dough in half, and shape
the balls.  Let rest under a cloth for 5 minutes. Form the loaves by
pressing  each (with your palm or rolling pin) into an oval, roughly
the length  of the baking pan. Fold the oval in half, pinch the seam
tightly to  seal, tuck under the ends, and place seam down in the pan.
Brush the  loaves with the melted butter.  Rising: 30 minutes. Place
the pans in a cold oven and turn heat to  400~ for 60 seconds--1
minute, no more. Turn it off!  Baking: 400~ 45 minutes: About 30
minutes later turn the oven to 400~  and bake for 45 minutes, or until
the loaves are brown. When done,  they will sound hollow when tapped on
the bottom crust with the  forefinger. If the crust is soft, return to
the oven, without the  pans, for 10 minutes. (If using a convection
oven, reduce heat 50~).  Final step: Place the loaves on a metal rack
to cool. The bread is  fine for sandwiches and toast. It also freezes
very well. Source:  Bernard Clayton's New Complete Book of Breads
Posted to MC-Recipe  Digest by "M. Hicks" <nitro_ii@email.msn.com> on
Feb 13, 1998

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Nutrition (calculated from recipe ingredients)
----------------------------------------------
Calories: 683
Calories From Fat: 592
Total Fat: 67g
Cholesterol: 154.2mg
Sodium: 3552.7mg
Potassium: 187.1mg
Carbohydrates: 18.5g
Fiber: 0g
Sugar: 18.8g
Protein: 4.6g