This was Daddy’s “I quit smoking” bread. When I was in high school, he stopped smoking for good. Being a man who was never still, he started looking for ways to occupy his hands other than smoking. He bought some of the first bread flour ever to hit the shelves in Monticello, Georgia, and started experimenting. He became known around town for his homemade bread, and often made loaves for bake sales and church suppers.

　　

Ingredients

makes 2 1-pound loaves

　　2 cups whole milk

　　3 tablespoons solid shortening

　　2 tablespoons sugar

　　2 1/2 teaspoons salt

　　1 1/2 tablespoons active dry yeast

　　1/4 cup lukewarm water (80° to 85°F)

　　5–6 cups bread flour

　　1/4 cup butter, melted

　　

Step 1

Scald the milk and add the solid shortening, sugar, and salt. Stir until the shortening is melted, and cool to lukewarm (80° to 85°F).

　　

Step 2

In a large, warm bowl, sprinkle the yeast over the lukewarm water. Wait 5 minutes and stir the yeast into the water. Add the cooled milk mixture. Stir in enough flour to make a very stiff dough. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured board and knead about 10 minutes, or until it is smooth and satiny.

　　

Step 3

Place the dough in a warm, lightly buttered bowl. Turn the dough to coat it with butter. Cover the bowl with a cloth and allow the dough to rise in a warm place (80° to 85°F), free from drafts, until the dough has doubled in bulk, about 2 hours.

　　

Step 4

Using your fingers or your fist, punch down the dough to release the air and turn the dough over in the bowl so the smooth oiled side is on top. Cover the bowl and let rise again until almost doubled in bulk, about 30 minutes.

　　

Step 5

Turn the dough out onto a board and divide into 2 equal portions. Shape each portion into a ball, cover with a cloth, and allow to rest for 10 minutes. Shape each ball into a loaf and place the loaves into 2 greased loaf pans, 5 1/2 × 9 1/2 × 3 1/2-inches.

　　

Step 6

Brush the tops of the loaves with melted butter, cover, and let rise until doubled in bulk, about 1 hour. Preheat the oven to 400°F. Bake for 40 to 45 minutes. Turn the loaves out on a rack to cool. The bread is done when it sounds hollow when lightly tapped on the sides or bottom.

　　

From Gwen

Step 7

Jack used specially shaped tubes such as stars, rounds, and scallops for party sandwich bread.

　　

Note

Step 8

Water may be substituted for part or all of the milk. Bread made with milk has a browner crust.

　　Reprinted with permission from Georgia Cooking in an Oklahoma Kitchen: Recipes from My Family to Yours by Trisha Yearwood with Gwen Yearwood and Beth Yearwood Bernard. Copyright © 2008 by Trisha Yearwood. Published by Crown Publishing Group. All Rights Reserved.Trisha Yearwood is a three-time Grammy-award winning country music star and the author of the bestselling cookbook Georgia Cooking in an Oklahoma Kitchen. She is married to megastar Garth Brooks.