by Sandra Merville Hart

I was looking for a bread recipe to serve with beef stew for guests. I found this wonderful recipe in The Fannie Farmer Cookbook.

With stew as my main course, I wanted a hearty bread as an accompaniment. These loaves did not disappoint any of my guests.

This recipe makes 2 loaves. There was suggested variation for making cheese bread. That appealed to me so I made one white and one cheese loaf.

Ingredients

2 tablespoons shortening

2 ½ teaspoons salt

2 tablespoons sugar

1 cup hot milk

1 cup hot water

1 package dry yeast

6 cups white flour (I used bread flour)

1 ½ cups grated Cheddar Cheese or other cheese (if making cheese bread)

Blend the shortening, salt, and sugar in a large bowl. Stir in the hot milk and water. Set aside and allow it to cool to lukewarm. (The mixture cools within a few minutes.)

Meanwhile, place the yeast into a small bowl and mix it with ¼ cup warm water. Allow it to stand for 5 minutes to dissolve and activate the yeast.

Add the activated yeast to the cooled mixture and stir. Add 3 cups of flour and mix until well-blended. (I used my hands—too much of my Southern grandma in me. 😊) Add 2 more cups of flour and mix it together well. Then turn out the dough onto a lightly floured surface. Knead for a minute or two.

Allow the dough to rest for 10 minutes.

You’re ready to knead again. Of the remaining cup of flour, add just enough so the dough isn’t sticky, a little at a time as you knead the dough until it is elastic and smooth. (I might have had ½ cup of flour that wasn’t needed of the 6 cups.)

Grease a large bowl. Place the dough inside and cover with plastic wrap. Set it in a warm area and allow it to rise until the size doubles.

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Prepare two loaf pans with cooking spray.

Punch the risen dough and divide it in half. Place one half in one of the pans.

If you plan for one of the loaves to be cheese bread, gently mix in the shredded cheese now with your hands. Then place the prepared cheesy dough into the other loaf pan.

Cover with plastic wrap and wait until it doubles in size.

Remove plastic wrap and bake at 425 degrees for 15 minutes. Then lower setting to 375 degrees and bake for another 30 minutes.

Delicious! I sliced the cooled bread and we ate it with beef stew—what a treat! Crusty bread went perfectly with the meal. Some buttered the slices and others didn’t, but all enjoyed freshly baked white or cheese bread for supper.

My husband and I ate leftovers the following evening and it still tasted just as delicious.

The whole process took about 3 ½ hours from start to finish. I will make this again.

***I made this again for family. They loved the bread! In fact, my sister loved the cheese bread so much that she suggested I sell it! I think it’s delicious too, and well worth the time and effort to make it.

I’d love to hear if you try it.

Sources

Revised by Cunningham, Marion and Laber, Jeri. The Fannie Farmer Cookbook, Alfred A Knopf Inc., 1983.