Especially for Aimee

For as long as I can remember I have enjoyed cooking. I learned to cook in Home Ec. classes, in
4-H, and at my mother's side. Mom let me try all kinds of dishes out on the family--things like souffles and steamed brown bread. Now I might enjoy cooking, but I love baking--cakes, pies, cookies, you name it. I think my favorite thing to bake is bread. The smell is like a little bit of heaven on earth! I love to try new recipes, but once in awhile I find something that just can't be topped. Such is the case with the recipe for white bread that I got from my sister-in-law, Teresa. After making it all these years, I finally asked her this summer where the recipe came from. (She is so talented and clever that I thought maybe she had created it herself.) It actually comes from The Joy of Cooking cookbook. So this one is especially for my niece, Aimee, whose food blog gives me lots of new things to try out.

White Bread

1/2 cup warm water

1 Tbs. yeast

1 Tbs. sugar

Mix together.

1 beaten egg

1/2 cup oil

2 cups lukewarm water

1-1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 cup sugar

Mix together, then add yeast mixture.

4 cups flour

Mix with other ingredients, then add 4 additional cups of flour. (I use a Bosch mixer, so sometimes I can't add all of the flour.) Knead 10 minutes. Let rise until double. Punch down and let rest for 10 minutes. Shape into loaves. Place in greased pans and let rise until double. Place in cold oven. Turn temperature to 400 degrees for 15 minutes, then continue baking at 375 degrees for 25 minutes. Makes 3 loaves.