Grandma VanDoren's White Bread

Grandma VanDoren's White Bread

I don't have a Grandma VanDoren, but I love her for this recipe!

It never fails me!

Makes 4 loaves:

4 cups warm water

4 Tbsp. active dry yeast
1/3 cup sugar

4 tsp. salt

1/3 cup oil

About 11 cups flour

Combine water, yeast, salt, oil, sugar and 4 cups flour.

Mix thoroughly, stop and let sponge rise until doubled in size.

Gradually add more flour until dough pulls cleanly from side of bowl.

Turn out onto floured surface or let mixer knead for 

5-6 more minutes until dough is smooth.

Form dough into ball and place dough in a greased bowl,

 turning once to grease both side.  

Cover loosely and let rise until doubled in size.

Punch dough down and divide into 4 equal balls.

While forming loaves, heat oven to lowest temperature and when it 

has reached that temperature, turn the oven off.

For each ball/loaf, roll dough out into a flat rectangle.  

fold each end in, overlapping like a letter.

Roll folded dough out into another rectangle that is not 

wider than your bread pan and about 3/4 inch thick.  

Roll dough into a log starting with the short side.  

Pinch end along roll to seal, turn over to make that the bottom and tuck ends of roll under. 

 Place in a greased bread pan. 

 Let rise in warmed oven with door partially opened until doubled in size
or let rise on the counter until doubled in size.

Carefully remove pans, heat oven to 350^oF and 

then bake about 35 minutes until golden brown on top.  

Take bread out of pans after 5 minutes and let cool on a wire rack.