Basic Batter Bread (No Need to Knead)

*Heat milk and shortening in a saucepan until warm – the shortening (or butter) doesn’t need to melt necessarily. Get it too hot and it will kill the yeast. I usually test it on my wrist and when it is pleasantly warm and the shortening is melting, I know it is ready. You can use a thermometer and heat it to the recommended temperature on the side of the yeast packet, about 110 – 120 degrees.
*Thoroughly whisk together flour, sugar, salt and yeast in a large bowl.
*Add egg to flour mixture and stir in.
*Add milk to the flour mixture, and stir 500 strokes. I also do this in my KitchenAid mixer when rushed…but the stirring is great exercise and the kids like to do it. The dough will be wetter and stickier than most bread doughs.
*Let rise (in a warm spot like a sunny windowsill or in a warmed oven) until doubled in the bowl, covered with a cloth. (1/2 – 1 hour)
*Stir down, and place dough in a loaf pan. The dough does not need to be shaped, and is a rather sticky, wet dough, compared to other bread doughs.
*Let rise until it doubles. (Another 1/2 – 1 hour). Meanwhile, preheat oven to 350 degrees.
*Bake in oven for 40 minutes or until top of loaf is light brown.

Optional: I always melt butter over the top of my crust during the last 5 minutes of baking… Just place a few pats of butter over the top and let them melt and spread. My boys and I like it best when I then sprinkle the top with kosher or sea salt. It doesn’t matter if it is course or fine, although most of the time we use fine salt. This makes for a wonderful, tasty bread and butter treat, and is also good for “salad” sandwiches like tuna or chicken or ham. The salty taste is a wonderful added extra.

This bread is also good for adding chopped herbs, or shredded cheese, and sometimes I add a mixture of cinnamon and raisins that I have soaked in boiling water until plump.

I often double the recipe – but then you have to use the KitchenAid to stir it all together.