Amish White Bread (again)

  I just made this recipe this past November (click here) and when I decided to make bread today I pulled that recipe from the file. A link to the recipe is on the page noted above.

 I don't know that it's foolproof but it seems pretty close. I let it rise the first time about an hour and 15 minutes and the second time for 45 minutes. That's a bit longer than the recipe suggests. But unlike the breads I've proofed too long, this one didn't collapse when baked.

 I think the best guide it to allow the dough to double on the first rise and rise about an inch above the pan during the second.

 The texture turned out perfectly.

 Breakfast! I used up the last of the strawberry preserves on the slice in the rear and the slice in the foreground is about to get a healthy dose of peach preserves from the jar I just opened.

 This is how the dough looks after kneading. The texture is soft and wonderful to handle. Unlike some bread doughs I've worked with, it is not sticky and can be kneaded on a pastry cloth without fear of gumming it up.

 After the first rise the dough has a bit of moisture to it. I added a quick dusting of flour to the pastry cloth and worked it easily. After a quick knead, I divided it in half and placed it into two loaf pans.

 At the end of 30 minutes the bread was perfectly baked. Rapping the top gives a hollow sound, just as it should. This crust is quite soft compared to some I have made.

 I was thinking of sprinkling some rolled oats on the top but then though I'd just let things stay natural. The one load had a slight imperfection when I placed it in the pan but I've always liked that effect. It s says "homemade".

 The taste? Perfection.