Betty's Fresh Semi Homemade Baked Bread
Instructions
Spray all sides of the frozen 1-pound loaf of bread with cooking oil spray. Also, spray the bottom and sides of a standard glass or metal loaf pan. Place the sprayed, frozen loaf of bread dough in the loaf pan, and cover with plastic wrap, which also has been sprayed with cooking oil spray. Let rise for about 6 hours, away from any draft. The loaf should double in bulk. If it doesn't, then let it rise longer. You can speed up the process by placing the loaf of bread over very warm water. When the loaf of bread has risen sufficiently, place the loaf pan on the center rack in the center of the oven, which has been pre-heated to 350 degrees. I usually place a layer of aluminum foil on the top rack to protect the top of the bread from over-browning. Bake for approximately 20 minutes. Remove from the oven, and place on a rack to cool a bit before slicing. You may want to run a stick of butter across the top while the bread is hot, in order to soften the crust. This bread is best when served hot, although it is more difficult to slice. Use a bread knife and use a sawing motion to carefully cut the bread into slices of your desired size. This bread is luscious when served hot with butter! I will be uploading lasagna to accompany this bread tomorrow! --Betty
