Oakley Elementary School Bread Recipe

OAKLEY ELEMENTARY SCHOOL BREAD

Prep 20 min. , Inactive prep 120 min. , Bake 20-40 min.
Total Time: 3 hours

(A special thanks to my Aunt Pam who shared this recipe with me. It is the recipe used by my Elementary School cafeteria ladies! The original recipe made 24 loaves)

RECIPE FOR 1 LOAF, 8 BUNS OR 12 ROLLS
¾ cup + 2 Tablespoons warm water
1½ teaspoon yeast
2 teaspoons oil
4 teaspoons sugar
1 teaspoon salt
2¼ cups all-purpose flour

RECIPE FOR 2 LOAVES, 16 BUNS, or 24 ROLLS
1 ¾ cup warm water
3 teaspoons yeast
4 teaspoons oil
2 Tablespoons + 2 teaspoons sugar
2 teaspoons salt
4½ c. all-purpose flour

RECIPE FOR 3 LOAVES, 24 BUNS, OR 36 ROLLS
2½ c. warm water
1½ Tablespoons yeast
2 Tablespoons oil
¼ c. sugar
1 T. salt
6¾ c. all-purpose flour


INGREDIENTS:


  DIRECTIONS:
In a large bowl, pour in the warm water; add the yeast, sugar, and oil. Stir with a fork or spoon.
Mix in the salt and the flour one cup at a time until easy to handle.

(If you add too much flour, your dough will be stiff and dry.)
(Make sure you stir in the salt with the flour. Did you know that salt can kill yeast?) 
  CLICK HERE to learn more about salt and yeast


Knead dough on a lightly floured surface (about 10 minutes) 'til smooth and soft like a baby’s bootie.

CLICK HERE... to see how I Knead Bread Dough

Place in a well oiled bowl, and turn dough to coat. Cover with a cloth. Allow to rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1-1½ hours.


(When my house is cool, I turn on my oven, count to 30, shut it off and put the bread inside to rise with the door shut. Gas ovens may need to count to 60… until it feels warm but not hot. Don’t forget to shut it off, we don’t wanna cook it yet.)


After it’s doubled in size, punch down dough. Knead for a minute.



Shape and place each loaf into a well oiled 9x5-inch loaf pan, and turn to coat.

If making buns or rolls, divide into even pieces, shape and place 8 buns in a well oiled 9x13 pan or 12 rolls into a well oiled pan, and turn to coat.

(If you place the dough closer together, the bread will be taller, if there’s space between the dough, the buns will be wider like below.)


Allow to rise again, 30-45 minutes or until doubled in size.

 (Be careful, when the dough has risen, it’s full of air bubbles which can pop if you jostle it too hard or smack it on the counter. If this does happen, let it rise for a few minutes until it’s again to the ‘doubled’ size.)


Bake loaf in preheated oven at 350º for 30-40 minutes.
Bake rolls and buns in preheated oven at 350º for 20-30 minutes.

(When bread is done, it’ll sound hollow if you tap on it)


After they’re cooked, rub butter on the top of each roll/loaf if desired.
(The top 4 have butter…(see the shine), the bottom 4 don’t)
Transfer to a wire rack or clean towel to cool.

Right Click on the above document to download or print the recipe!

FEEL LIKE BEING ADVENTUROUS?  
...OR MAYBE YOU JUST REALIZED THAT YOU DON’T HAVE ALL THE INGREDIENTS YOU NEED....
 NEVER FEAR, TRY A FEW OF THESE SUBSTITUTIONS -FIND YOUR FAVORITE FLAVOR!

SUBSTITUTIONS:

· You can replace sugar with honey
· Oil: can be olive or vegetable oil or melted shortening, butter, or margarine
· You can replace up to half the oil in a recipe with pureed beans
· 3 Tablespoons ground flax replaces 1 Tablespoon oil
· Flour: You can use other types of flour (whole wheat, oat, spelt, brown and white rice, bean, etc.) but I’d suggest keeping at least 25-50% white flour until you’ve experimented a bit. Using whole wheat flour, the bread will take a little longer to rise and will be more dense)

FUN IDEAS:
-Try sprinkling Italian seasoning, shredded cheese, or garlic on top!

-Shape the dough into different shapes and letters or try using different shaped pans, how about a round loaf or cook it in a bundt pan? (You may need to adjust the cooking time)


Your imagination is your only limitation. 

Have fun and please share your results!



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