Aunt Jan's Bread

Aunt Jan's Bread

Ingredients:

• 3 1/3 level cups of flour
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 T yeast (11/4 T if it's old)
• 1 cup warm water
• 2 T margarine or butter
• 1 egg

Instructions:

1. Put about 1/2 of the warm water in a mug. Add yeast and one tsp of the sugar. Let it set while you begin mixing the other ingredients.
2. Put the dry ingredients into a bowl. Mix lightly.
3. Make a well in the center and add the egg, rest of the water, and margarine cut into small pieces.
4. When you can see the yeast is growing add it into the well. If it doesn't grow don't even bother making the bread. Mix all ingredients well.
5. Knead for 10 minutes. If dough is a little sticky you can add some flour but it is better to be on the sticky side than the dry side. You know what consistency it should have. After you have kneaded it for 10 minutes it should be elastic and stretch when you pull it, not break.
6. Put it back into the bowl and cover it with a plate sprayed with Pam so it won't stick to it (Not necessary, but nice for clean up). Set it in a warm place until it has doubled. ( I turn my oven on 200 for about 30 seconds and then turn it off to create a warm place. In a window in the sun would be good, too. If you put it in the oven put a pan of hot water in there too it will increase the humidity and make the dough happier. Make sure you would be comfortable if you had to get into the oven. If it's too hot for you it will kill the yeast.)
7. Punch down the dough and knead it once again, for 1 or 2 minutes or until all the big bubbles are out of it.
   
8. Shape it into a loaf. Put it in a loaf pan. Let it rise until it is about 1 inch above the pan. (It will rise some while it bakes. If you like your bread really light and fluffy you could let it rise a little more.)
   
9. My oven is a little cool, so I bake my bread at 350 degrees for 35 minutes. I am thinking 30-33 minutes would be good if your oven is correctly calibrated. Take the pan of water out before you preheat the oven.
   
10. You can check it for doneness when you smell it. It should be brown on top.

Notes:
That is all I can think of as far as tips. Oh, I do let it set in the pan for 10 minutes before I dump it out, but if I am in a hurry I dump it when it comes out. It is just kind of tender and prone to sagging until it cools a bit. I wrap it in a dish towel to tran sport it when it is warm. If it is completely cool you can wrap it in plastice wrap.