Thanks for all the replies and suggestions. I actually posted too
late for my bread-baking teaching session to incorporate your
suggestions, so went with the recipe I'd posted (below) with my
changes. My little student and her mother loved it. I did the
lesson tv show-style, having prepared 4 loaves at different times so
we could jump right to the next step without waiting for rising.
Some of the loaves rose faster, so I punched those down after the
first mix and rise, and let it rise a second time. The last loaf,
which I kept (having sent the others home with my student to bake at
her house), I let rise in the pan, then stuck the pan in the frig
overnight and baked it in the morning. That actually tasted quite
good due to the extra rise after mixing and the overnight cool rise.
The recipe:
Mrs. ---- Peterson wrote she obtained this recipe in 1922 at a 4-H
meeting. I changed the amount of flour ... her 4 cups was way too
much for dry Wyoming) and added instructions and extra rising.
1 cup of water, lukewarm (test on wrist for comfortable warm temperature)
1 tablespoon of sugar
1 tablespoon of shortening (soft or melted)
1 teaspoon of salt
1 package of dry yeast
2.25 - 2.5 cups of sifted flour
Put water, sugar, and yeast in bowl and let the yeast grow for 5-10
minutes. Add soft or melted shortening and salt and mix well. Add
3/4 c of the flour and mix well. Allow to rest 15 minutes. Add
additional flour 1/2 cup at a time or enough that the dough doesn't
stick to the hands when kneaded. Knead until dough feels like your
ear lobe, adding flour as necessary. Let rise in a bowl (grease
dough's top) until double in bulk. For added flavor, punch down
after first rise and let rise again. Form into loaf and let rise in
bread pan until double in bulk. (I sometimes stick this in the
refrigerator, usually overnight, and bake it later.) Bake in 350 F
oven for 40 to 50 minutes. Makes 1 loaf.