Yeast Bread

8 servings Prep: 20 m Cook: 45 m Total: 3 h Intermediate
5.0/5 (2)
Yeast Bread
My Mom made the best bread. She had lots of practice cooking for eleven. We always looked forward when Mom made her yeast bread for our mid-afternoon snack when we were working in the fields. We would eat the warm bread with lots of butter or fig preserves.

Ingredients

8 servings
  • 1/4 cup water, lukewarm
  • 1/2 package granular yeast or 1/2 cake compressed yeast
  • 1 cup very warm to hot liquid (milk or water)
  • 1 tbsp to 1 1/2 tbsp sugar
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 tbsp shortening
  • 3 cups or more all purpose flour

Step-by-Step Instructions

  1. In a small glass cup, soften the yeast in the 1/4 cup of lukewarm water (about 110°F). In a separate bowl, combine the sugar, salt and shortening.
  2. Pour the warm liquid over the mixture. Add the yeast and flour to make a stiff batter and beat well.
  3. Add additional flour to make a soft dough. Turn out and knead until the dough does not stick to the board, about 8-10 minutes. The dough will be light and elastic.
  4. Place in a warm lightly greased bowl and cover - saran wrap works well; temperature should be around 75 to 80 degrees. Let rise until doubled in size, about 1 to 1.5 hours.
  5. When the dough has doubled in size, punch it down, shape it into a ball again. At this point, you can make rolls or a loaf. Place in a well-oiled pan and let rise in a warm place until double in size, about 45 minutes to 1 hour.
  6. Preheat oven to 425 degrees and bake 40 to 50 minutes, until golden brown. Bring out the cane syrup and cold glass of milk!
  7. Make Nut Bread with this recipe by adding 1/4 cup each of raisins and chopped nuts and 1/8 teaspoon cinnamon when preparing the dough.

Common Problems and Solutions

Q: Why didn't my dough rise?

A: Check your yeast freshness - old yeast won't activate. Also ensure your liquid is warm (110°F), not hot which kills yeast, and that your rising location is warm enough (75-80°F). If your kitchen is cold, try placing the bowl in an oven with just the light on.

Q: How do I know when I've kneaded enough?

A: The dough should be smooth and elastic after 8-10 minutes of kneading. Test it with the windowpane method: stretch a small piece between your fingers - if it forms a thin, translucent membrane without tearing, it's ready.

Q: My bread is dense instead of light. What happened?

A: This usually means the dough didn't rise enough. Make sure to let it double in size during both rises. Also, adding too much flour during kneading can make bread heavy - add just enough so dough doesn't stick.

Tips and Techniques

The ‘very warm to hot’ liquid should be about 110-115°F - warm enough to activate the yeast but not so hot it kills it. If you don’t have a thermometer, test on your wrist; it should feel warm but not uncomfortably hot. For a softer crust, brush the top of the hot loaf with butter right when it comes out of the oven.

Ingredient Substitutions

  • milk: water
  • shortening: butter or lard
  • all purpose flour: bread flour

Equipment Needed

  • Large mixing bowl
  • Small glass cup for proofing yeast
  • Loaf pan or baking sheet
  • Clean kitchen towel or plastic wrap for covering
  • Wooden board or clean counter for kneading

Historical Context

Homemade yeast bread was a staple in large Cajun farm families where store-bought bread was a luxury. Mom’s timing the bread to be fresh and warm for mid-afternoon field breaks was a act of love - that timing took planning since the dough needs 2+ hours to rise before baking.