Cake and Bread

4 mushrooms or 2 round loaves:

1/4 cup margarine
1/2 pound mushrooms, finely chopped
1 cup finely chopped onion
2 cups milk
3 tablespoons molasses
4 teaspoons salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/2 cup warm water (105 F to 115 f)
2 Packages active dry yeast
1 egg
1 cup wheat germ
8 to 9 cups all-purpose flour

1. Melt 2 tablespoons margarine in large skillet over medium heat. Add mushroom and onion; saute until onion is tender and liquid has evaporated. Cool
2. Heat milk; stir in molasses, salt, and pepper. Cool to lukewarm.
3. Measure warm water into a large warm bowl. Sprinkle in yeast; stir until dissolved. Add lukewarm milk mixture, egg, wheat germ, and 2 cups flour; beat until smooth. Stir in enough additional flour to make a stiff dough.
4. Turn dough onto a lightly floured surface; knead until smooth and elastic (8 to 10 minutes). Place in a greased bowl; turn to greased top. Cover; let rise in a warm place until double in bulk (about 1 hour)
5. Meanwhile, use four 30-ounch fruit  cans to prepare  Mushroom Pans (see below)
6. Punch dough down; turn onto lightly floured surface.

To make Mushrooms: Divide dough onto 4 equal pieces. Shape each piece into a smooth round ball. Place in prepared Mushrooms Pans. Let rise in a warm place until double in bulk (about 1 hour). With fingertips, gently press lower edge of mushroom cap down to meet foil-covered collar. Reshape cap if necessary. If desired, brush mushrooms with a mixture of  1 egg beaten with 1 tablespoon water. Bake on lowest rack position at 400 F about 40 minutes or until done. Carefully remove from pans and cool on wire racks.

To make loaves: Divide dough in half. Roll each half to a 14×9-inch rectangle. Shape into loaves. Place in 2 greased 9×5x3-inch loaf pans. Cover; let rise in warm place until double in bulk (about 1 hour). Bake at 400 F about 45 minutes, or until done. Carefully remove from pans and cool on wire racks.

Mushroom Pans: Cut 4 heavy cardboard squares 2 inches wider than can opening. Trace can opening in center of squares and cut out. Cover rings with foil. Place rings over cans so they fit tightly around opening. Grease cans and foils collars well.

Colonial Bread

2 cups whole wheat flour
2 1/2 cups unbleached or all-purpose flour
3/4 cup rye flour
1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
2 packages active dry yeast
1 tablespoon salt
2 1/2 cups hot tap water (120 to 130 F)
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 egg

1. Blend flour and cornmeal. Combine 2 1/2 cups flour mixture, sugar, yeast, and salt in large mixing bowl.
2. Stir water, oil, and egg into flour mixture; beat until smooth, about 3 minutes on high speed of electric mixer.
3. Gradually stir in enough more flour mixture to make a soft dough.
4. Turn dough onto a floured surface; knead until smooth and elastic (5 to 8 minutes)
5. Place in an oiled bowl, turn to oil top of dough. Cover; Let rise in a warm place until double in bulk (about 1 hour)
6. Punch down dough. Divide in half; shape into loaves. Place in 2 greased 9×5x3-inch loaf pans. Cover; Let rise until double in bulk (about 30 minutes)
7. Bake at 375 F 35 to 40 minutes, or until done.

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Hearty Potato Bread

6 1/2 to 7 cups flour
2 packages active dry yeast
2 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon salt
2 1/4 cup hot potato water
1 cup warm unseasoned mashed potatoes
2 tablespoons oil

1. Combine flour, yeast, sugar and salt in a large mixing bowl.
2. Add potato water (see Note), potatoes, and oil to flour mixture; beat about 3 minutes on high speed of electric mixer.
3. Stir in enough more flour to make a soft dough.
4. Turn dough onto a floured surface; Knead until smooth and elastic (5 to 8 minutes)
5. Place in an oiled bowl; turn to oil top of dough. Cover; let rise in a warm place until double in bulk (about 1 hour)
6. Punch down dough. Divide in half; shape into loaves and place in 2 greased 9×5x3-inch loaf pans. Cover; let rise in a warm place until double in bulk (about 1 45 minutes)
7. Bake at 375 F 40 to 45 minutes, or until done.

Note: To make potato water, cook 2 pared, cut up potatoes until tender in about 3 cups water. Drain, reserving water. Mash potatoes and cool for bread.

1 package active dry yeast
2 cups warm water
1 tablespoon salt
5 to 5 1/2 cups sifted all-purpose flour

1. Soften yeast in 1/4 cup warm water. Set aside.
2. Combine remaining 1 3/4 cups water and salt in a large bowl. Blend in 3 cups flour. Stir softened yeast and add to flour mixture, mixing well.
3. Add about half the remaining flour to the yeast mixture and beat until very smooth. Mix in enough remaining flour to make a soft dough. Turn dough onto lightly flour surface. Allow to rest 5 to 10 minutes. Knead 5 to 8 minutes, until dough is smooth and elastic.
4. Shape dough into a smooth ball and place in a greased bowl, just large enough to allow dough to double.
5. When dough has doubled in bulk, punch down with fist. Knead on a lightly floured surface about 2 minutes. Divide into 2 equal balls. Cover with towel and let stand 10 minutes.
6. Roll each ball into a 14×8-inch rectangle. Roll up lightly from wide side into a long, slender loaf. Pinch ends to seal. Place loaves on a lightly greased 15×10-inch baking sheet. Cover loaves loosely with a towel and set aside in a warm place until doubled.
7. Bake at 425 F 10 minutes. Turn oven control to 350 F and bake 1 hour, or until golden brown.

Note: To increase crustiness, place shallow pan on the bottom of the oven and fill with boiling water at the beginning of the baking time.

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For more understanding about bread making with yeast, you may want to check Yeast Breads in Breadmaking

12 to 13 cups all-purpose flour
4 packages actives fry yeast
2 tablespoon salt
2 cups milk
2 cups water
1/2 cup honey
1/4 cup vegetable oil
2 cups uncooke oats
1/2 cup wheat germ
Oil

1. Combine 2 cups flour, yeast and salt in a large mixing bowl.
2. Heat milk, water, honey and oil in a saucepan until very warm (120 to 130 F)
3. Add the liquid gradually to flour mixture, beating 3 minutes on high speed of electric mixer until smooth. Stir in oat, wheat germ, and enough remaining flour to make a soft dough.
4. Turn dough onto a floured surface; knead until smooth and elastic (8 to 10 minutes)
5. Divide dough into quarters, Shape each quarter into a loaf, and either place in an 8×4x2-inch loaf pan or on baking sheet. freeze just until firm. Remove from pan. Wrap tightly in aluminium foil or freezer wrap. Dough will keep up to 2 weeks.
6. To bake, remove wrapping and place dough in a greased 8×4x2-inch loaf pan. Thaw in refrigerator overnight or at room temperature 2 hours. Brush with oil and let rise in a warm place until double in bulk (about 2 hours).
7. Bake at 400 F 30 to 35 minutes, or until done.

Freezer Whole Wheat bread: Follow recipe for freezer Oatmeal bread, Substituting 5 Cups whole wheat flour for 5 cups all-purpose flour.

Freezer White Bread: Follow recipe for Freezer Oatmeal bread, omitting oats and wheat germ and increasing flour by about 1 cup.

2 Loaves

1/4 cup warm water (105 F for dry yeast, 95 F for compressed yeast)
1 package yeast, active dry or compressed
1 1/2 cups scalded milk, cooled to 105 F or 95 F.
1 cup honey
2 tablespoons olive oils
6 to 6 1/2 cups whole wheat flour

1. Pour water into a bowl, add yeast and stir until dissolved. Add milk, honey, olive oil and salt. Stir with wooden spoon until well blended.
2. Stir in 4 cups of flour, 1 cup at a time. Beat is smooth and elastic. Mix in another cup of flour. The dough will be very stiff.
3. Measure another cup of flour; sprinkle half of it on a board. Turn dough onto the board. Knead dough, adding flour to board until the dough no longer sticks. Continue kneading until dough is not sticky (about 8 minutes).
4. Put dough into a greased bowl about threes time the size of the dough. Turn dough to grease surface lightly. Cover bowl with towel and let  rise in a warm place for about 2 hours, or until double in bulk. Test by inserting a finger about 1/2 inch into dough. If identation remains, the dough is ready to shape.
5. Punch dough down; squeeze dough out air bubbles and shape into a smooth ball. Let rise again in warm place for about 30 minutes.
6. Devide into equal portions for 2 loaves. Form each into a smooth oval loaf. Let stand covered for 15 minutes.
7. Place the loaves scam side down in 2 greased 9×5x3-inch loaf pans. Cover with a towel and let rise in warm place until almost double in bulk (about 1 hour).
8. Bake at 375 F about 30 minutes, or until crust is medium brown.
9. Turn out of pans at once. Cool on wire racks.