Stephanie's Easy Homemade Bread in an Hour and a Half

I was scared of making bread for a long time.  Once in my early 30s I went to a ladies' church group class where someone was sharing her skill of bread-making.  I remember at one point she was telling us about not adding too much flour.  Someone asked how sticky the dough should be, how much flour was too little or too much.  "You'll know," she said.

No, I won't.  That's the whole issue, you know.  I need a recipe that tells me how much of each ingredient to put in and how long to let the thing rise.

And that's why this bread is perfect.  In fact, it's easy enough that my daughter could make it when she was about 12.

It's perfect because it's easy but also because it's so delicious.

I got this recipe from a sweet gal who invited our family to dinner after church one day.  We were actually just visiting the church as we were moving to the area and trying to figure out what part of town to live in.  I was practically speechless when her last-minute meal for unexpected company included mouth-watering homemade bread.  So, of course, I had to ask for her recipe.

It only required one simple switch to make it a pantry-friendly recipe, and I'll tell you that my family couldn't even tell.

And, yes, of course, you can use all the original ingredients instead of my pantry-friendly swap, if you prefer!

EASY HOMEMADE BREAD IN AN HOUR AND A HALF

PREP TIME:  60-70 minutes (including rising)
COOK TIME:  13-15 minutes

INGREDIENTS

• 1 3/4 c. warm water
• 5 tsp. yeast
• 2 Tbsp. sugar
• 2 tsp. salt
• 2 Tbsp. butter flavor Crisco (original recipe: 2 Tbsp. soft butter)
• 5-6 cups flour

DIRECTIONS

Mix in a large mixing bowl (with a dough hook, if possible) the water, yeast, sugar, salt, and butter flavor Crisco.  When mostly mixed, add in 1 c. flour.  Mix well.  Add in 4-5 c. of flour, just one cup at a time, until the dough is kneadable.  Knead the dough until it's soft.  Cover and let rise for 20 minutes.  Divide the dough in half.  With a rolling pin, roll the dough to approximately 8" x 12".  Starting at the long end, roll the dough up tightly to make a 12" loaf.  Pinch the seams together and tuck the ends under.  Place on a cookie sheet sprayed with cooking spray or lined with foil.  Repeat with the second portion of the dough.  Cover with a clean kitchen towel and let rise for 20-30 minutes.  Bake at 425 degrees for about 13-15 minutes.  (Original recipe:  Brush the top with butter after 13 minutes and bake another 2 minutes.)

Try this recipe, then comment and let me know how you like it!  And Pin it to Pinterest to save and share using the image below.

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