Bread

Okay, once again, dispel any ideas you have that I am a pro at bread making or anything. But a few people have asked how I make bread, and this is it. And we like it.

This recipe makes 5 loaves, but it is easily halved. (Or you can freeze extra loaves until you're ready to eat them, like we do.)

Take 2 cups of milk and put it in the microwave for 2 1/2 minutes.
Then add 2/3 cup of oil (I put it in the measuring cup with the milk). Put that in the Bosch with 2 eggs, 1/2 cup of sugar, 2 Tbsp. salt, and 3 cups of very hot water. Mix.

Then add 10 cups of flour and 2 Tbsp. yeast, and mix.
Then add another 3 cups of flour and mix. Then add more flour a little at a time until it is the right consistency. You don't want it to be too sticky, like in this picture. (Sticks to your finger a LOT and sticks to the side of the bowl a lot.)
You want it closer to this-- only sticks to your finger a little, and mostly pulls off the sides of the bowl. In Indiana, I find it's usually close to 14 - 14 1/2 cups of flour, depending on the day or how much white flour vs. wheat flour you used. You can use as much wheat flour as you feel like, I generally add three cups or so (substituted for white flour, not in addition to). Also you can add any other sort of bread thing you feel like. Wheat bran, wheat germ...Kami and my mom sometimes add 9-grain cereal, which is good. My mom sometimes has cracked wheat porridge for breakfast and whatever is left over she throws in, or she'll blend up flax and add that. So, however you like it. I personally really love it just plain white the best, but I add wheat flour because it's supposed to be healthier or something.
Then let it mix for 10 minutes. It will still be a fairly sticky mixture--not stiff.
Then grease a bowl and put the dough in it to rise, covered.
Let it rise. I don't really know how long you're "supposed" to let it rise. I just get to it whenever. Maybe an hour, or two. Something like that. This is what mine looked like when I got to it.
Grease your bread pans and make your loaves. (I make five loaves and a "baby" loaf, because it seems to work out better and my kids love the baby loaf.) Cover them with a cloth and let them rise again.
This is how high I let them rise this time, but I think generally I let them rise a tad bit taller. Your oven needs to be at 350.
Put them in for 15 minutes, then re-arrange them so they bake more evenly and cook for another 15 minutes (30 minutes total cooking time). Then take them out and pour them out of the pan to cool. Voila.

Then enjoy a delicious slice dipped in delicious cheddar-ham soup.
Or maybe enjoy it toasted with homemade strawberry jam.
Any questions? I hope I remembered to tell you everything. When I wrote down the recipe for one of my friends I forgot to mention salt and she was wondering why her bread tasted so off. Whoops! Sorry again Sarah! :)