Pain Blanc

Total Time: 8 hrs 35 mins Preparation Time: 8 hrs Cook Time: 35 mins

Ingredients

• 1 (8 g) envelope yeast
• 1/2 cup warm water
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 4 cups warm water
• 4 tablespoons sugar
• 1 tablespoon salt
• 1/2 cup cooking oil
• 11 cups flour

Recipe

• 1 dissolve 1 tsp sugar in 1/2 cup warm water and sprinkle with yeast; place in a 2-cup mixing bowl and let rise in oven with only the oven light on for about 20 minutes or until the yeast has nearly reached the top.
• 2 in a 12-quart pot, add the yeast mixture.
• 3 add 4 cups warm water, 4 tbsp sugar, 1 tbsp salt and 1/2 cup cooking oil.
• 4 gradually add 11+ cups flour and knead about 10 minutes.
• 5 put the lid on the pot and place in oven (with only the oven light on) until the bread rises to the top of the pot.
• 6 punch down the dough with floured hands and knead about 5 minutes.
• 7 again, put the lid on the pot and place in the oven (with only the oven light on) and let rise until the dough reaches the top.
• 8 punch down with buttered hands and place the dough on your buttered counter or table.
• 9 cut the dough into 5 equal pieces.
• 10 shape into 5 loaves.
• 11 butter your hands and gently rub the butter onto the loaves before placing into buttered bread tins.
• 12 place in oven (with only the oven light on) and let rise until doubled in bulk - about 1 hour.
• 13 remove the loaves from the oven being careful not to puncture the loaves. heat oven to 400°f then drop the temperature to 375°f place loaves in the oven and bake for 35 minutes until golden brown.
• 14 enjoy a loaf steaming hot, sliced thick with butter. mmmm.
• 15 the other loaves may be frozen when completely cooled.