Bread

After several requests, here's my Mom's bread recipe. She made bread every other Friday on her day off and if she happened to make it on the weekend, she always used some of it for scones at lunch (YUM!). It's super good and really easy. Good luck!

Carole's Bread:
2 cups milk
3 Tbsp Shortening
1/2 cup sugar (+a small amount for the yeast)
1 tsp salt
2 Tbsp yeast
1 inch water
Approx. 7 cups flour

Scald 2 cups milk on stove (milk is scalded just before it starts to boil), pour over the 3 Tbsp shortening, 1/2 cup sugar, and 1 tsp salt. Put about an inch of water in the milk pan and add 2 Tbsp yeast and a little sugar (to feed the yeast). Let the yeast work in the pan until it's all foamy and growing. Then, mix together the milk mixture and yeast and the approx. 7 cup flour (this will change depending on your altitude and how much water you use in the yeast. Just add more if you need it). Mix well and then knead for approximately 5 minutes. Let rise in the bowl (covered with plastic wrap; be sure to grease the plastic so the bread doesn't stick...) for 20 to 30 minutes. Make loaves (makes 2 regular loaves) and put in greased bread pans and cover with plastic again, let rise 20-30 minutes more (til it's doubled or so). Bake for 15 minutes at 375 degrees then turn the oven down to 325 and bake for 30 minutes more.
Take the bread out of the pans immediately and set on the counter to cool (it's delish warm, but letting it cool for a little while is wise...:)
She (and I) always spread the tops of the bread with butter right as it comes out of the oven (I just get a stick out of the fridge and rub it on the tops then just put it back...)

So, there you go. Good luck and I'd love to hear if anyone tries it out!