Rich Sandwich Bread Recipe

  By request - my sort-of recipe for "rich" bread.  It started out a long time ago as a recipe from an old Greek cookbook; I have fooled with it mightily since then til it suited our taste.
    The measurements here will make 2 "grocery store" sized loaves (12 inches long), or 3 9-inch loaves, or 3 dozen dinner rolls.  We'll pretend we're doing the big loaves.

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 INGREDIENTS - 
3 cups warm water
3 tablespoons active dry yeast
2 large eggs
4 Tablespoons fat-of-your-choice
about 1 scant Tablespoon salt

about 3 cups (or more if you like) good whole grain wheat flour
sweetening of choice - I use 3 handsful of raw brown sugar, or about 4-5 Tablespoons raw honey
"enough" quality unbleached white flour to make a good springy dough
Optional -about 1/2 - 1 cup of seeds, whole grains, chopped nuts, whatever you like.

DIRECTIONS
  Pour water into a LARGE (that biggest Pyrex!) bowl.  Dissolve yeast in the water.
  Add your chosen sweetener, and stir to dissolve.  Add wheat flour, stirring til smooth.
Cover and let proof in a draft-free place for about 15 minutes.

  Beat eggs in a small bowl.  Uncover dough, stir down, then add eggs and fat, stirring thoroughly.  Add salt, and whatever goodies (seeds and such) you want.
  Add flour a couple handsful at a time, stirring thoroughly, until the dough forms a soft ball.  
Turn out onto heavily floured surface; knead in more flour until the dough is pretty stiff and springy, but not yet "dry". (Sorry, this is one of those Granny recipes...)
  Form dough into a flattened ball and place in greased BIG bowl.  Cover with towel and set in a warm place to rise.  
   Let rise for 60 minutes.
  
  Punch down, divide in half.  Form each half into a loaf by your favorite method - I roll mine out thin with a heavy marble pin, then roll up again into shape.  This gives me the best 'no big holes" results.
  Press down into 12" loaf pans (greased or not, as the pan requires).  Cover and set back into warm place to rise again.
   Let rise about 45 minutes 9can be a little longer if required.)

  Center the loaves in a 375-degree oven.  Bake for 10 minutes.

  Decrease heat to 350 degrees.  Turn loaves or trade sides as your oven requires (mine is a 1948 model and requires both!).  Bake for ABOUT 17 minutes, or until the tops are golden brown.
  Remove one loaf from pan and test by thumping bottom - should sound hollow if done.  If not, return to oven for a couple more minutes and test again.

  When done, remove from pans immediately.
 Brush all sides, top and bottom with fat-of-choice.
 Wrap in clean kitchen towels and set on a cooling rack to cool entirely before cutting or wrapping.
  This recipe freezes well when tightly wrapped.

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 SOFT BUTTER SPREAD
​   Because yum without preservatives.
This recipe is a mashup of several I found online, fooled with until it works consistently for me and has the taste we like - this is a soft, slightly tangy spread.
   This is a BIG recipe - I divide it into 4 containers, one for the fridge and the other three into the freezer for later.
  Easiest with a big stand mixer.

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   INGREDIENTS -
 1 pound of the best butter you can get,  softened to "creaming" stage
 1-3/4 cups of the best PLAIN yogurt you can get
 a scant 1/4 cup veg oil of your choice 
 a dash of salt

 DIRECTIONS
     Cut up butter into mixer bowl.  Start with dough hook, beat in oil til thoroughly mixed.
  Switch to whisk attachment (if you have it).  Add the yogurt by big dollops, whisking at full speed JUST until completely smooth and fluffy - mixing too long may cause separation of whey.
  If there's a little whey in the bottom, that's okay - your spread will just be a little less soft.

  Spoon immediately into 1-2 cup size containers, close, and put into freezer or fridge.  I find this keeps about a week to 10 days in the fridge, and a month or two in the freezer.
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