Friday Recipe: Bread

I'm not really into making bread. Don't get me wrong, I love homemade bread. It's the time factor. Even with a bread maker it's still the time factor. But then I saw this cool book at the library (where I get a lot of books I'm not sure if I want to buy) and thought maybe...maybe I'll give it a shot.
Make the Bread, Buy the Butter: What You Should and Shouldn't Cook from Scratch -- Over 120 Recipes for the Best Homemade Foods by Jennifer Reese

So I went to my favorite recipe site and found a simple (simple-ish) recipe with a phenominal number of reviews (2,650 for a 5 star review? Yeah I'll try this.) I've discovered 2 things: I will never not use a bread maker again, am digging out mine right after I finish this, and this recipe was really delicious!

Amish White Bread

Prep Time:20 Min
Cook Time:40 Min
Ready In:2 Hrs 30 Min

Ingredients
2 cups warm water (110 degrees F/45 degrees C)
2/3 cup white sugar
1 1/2 tablespoons active dry yeast
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/4 cup vegetable oil
6 cups bread flour

Directions
In a large bowl, dissolve the sugar in warm water, and then stir in yeast. Allow to proof until yeast resembles a creamy foam.

Mix salt and oil into the yeast. Mix in flour one cup at a time. Knead dough on a lightly floured surface until smooth. Place in a well oiled bowl, and turn dough to coat. Cover with a damp cloth. Allow to rise until doubled in bulk, about 1 hour.

Punch dough down. Knead for a few minutes, and divide in half. Shape into loaves, and place into two well oiled 9x5 inch loaf pans. Allow to rise for 30 minutes, or until dough has risen 1 inch above pans.

Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 30 minutes.

Nutritional Information
Amount Per Serving Calories: 168 Total Fat: 2.9g Cholesterol: 0mg