Versatile white bread recipe is great for loaves, rolls and cinnamon rolls
KINGWOOD — Throughout my life, food and food preparation have been tied to many pleasant memories.
There was the smell of fresh baked bread and cinnamon rolls, and soup beans, when we got home after school. Grandma Thorn’s dumplings and buttery chocolate cake. Grandma Casteel’s ginger cookies at the holidays.
So when the pandemic sucker punched the nation, canceling plans for, well, everything, I naturally went to the kitchen. The rhythms of preparing food, the texture, smell and taste are comforting.
And nothing is more comforting than the smell of baking bread. Full disclosure here, bread isn’t my baking strong point, but this recipe is easy. Mom used a recipe from her 1950s era Betty Crocker cookbook, which I grew up learning from. But I prefer this recipe from Betty’s 1971 edition.
WHITE BREAD
2 packages of active dry yeast (If it’s outdated, don’t even waste your time trying to bring it to life.)
3/4 cup warm water (105-115 degrees)
2 2/3 cups warm water
1/4 cup sugar
1 tablespoon salt
3 tablespoons shortening
9 to 10 cups flour
Soft butter
Dissolve yeast in 3/4 cup warm water. Stir in 2 2/3 cups warm water, sugar, salt, shortening and 5 cups of the flour. Beat until smooth. (I do this by hand. Bread making is all about getting physical.)
Mix in remaining flour to make dough easy to handle.
Turn dough onto lightly floured board. (I have no idea why it says board. I use the kitchen table.) Knead until elastic and smooth, about 10 minutes. Betty says that to knead, fold dough toward you and then push it away with the heel of the hand in a rocking motion; rotate the dough a quarter turn.
Place in greased bowl; turn greased side of dough up. Cover with a towel or cloth and let rise in warm place until double, about 1 hour. Dough is ready if an impression remains when you poke a half inch into it with your finger.
Punch down the dough. That means literally put your fist into the middle of it. Divide dough in half. Roll each half into a rectangle, 18-inches-by-9-inches. (I just eyeball it. Math’s not my strong point, either.)
Roll up, beginning at short side. With side of hand, press each end to seal. Fold ends under loaf. Place seam side down in greased loaf pan, 9-by-5-by-3 inches. Brush lightly with butter. Let rise until double, about 1 hour.
(I usually make one loaf and use the rest of the dough to make rolls or cinnamon rolls. To make rolls, pinch off pieces of dough and form them into balls. Put into a greased pan, not touching, to rise.
(To make cinnamon rolls, pour melted butter on the rectangle, then cover with a mixture of half white and half brown sugar. Don’t skimp. Sprinkle with cinnamon. Roll up, starting on the long side. Cut into 1-inch slices. That’s about the length of the first joint of your thumb.
Place melted butter and more brown sugar in the bottom of a pan and put the rolls into it. I have poured a little maple syrup in there, too, at times. When you turn them out after baking, all the gooey sweetness will be on top.)
Heat oven to 425 degrees. Place loaves on low rack so tops of pans are in center of oven. Pans should not touch each other or the sides of the oven. Bake 30-35 minutes or until golden brown and loaves sound hollow when tapped. remove from pans and brush with soft butter. Cool on wire racks.
Step back and admire your work, then enjoy!
