Carol's Bread

You can't beat homemade, round, crustless bread topped with your favorite spread. And that's exactly how my mother-in-law Carol made it. 

Carol was mom, grandma and great grandma to many. Her bread was special not just because of the ideal round shaped slices but because of who made it. I was told her recipe was from the old Betty Crocker Cookbook but I have had it written on a tattered paper for years. 

Making yeast bread takes some practice. It may be good to start with the smaller batch of this recipe before making the extra large batch. I think Carol made 9 loaves at a time but I've developed this recipe to 12 loaves (which is all I can handle kneading). I've also included lots of tips so you don't have to figure it out on your own.

Carol and her husband Earl always said they preferred King Arthur Bread Flour. It's rather pricing and I've found that any brand of bread flour does the job. Carol always made white bread and also wheat bread using this same recipe but substituted a large amount of wheat bread flour for white bread flour to create the wheat version. I prefer to use white bread flour with a small amount of wheat bread flour worked in...just enough to add a richer flavor to homemade white bread...ie. just 3 cups wheat bread flour in the largest batch below.

If you plan to make a lot of bread, the yeast that can be purchased in a small jar is more economical than the packets. One packet of active dry yeast equals 2 1/4 ts from the jar. Just fyi...when doubling recipes, yeast needs to be more but not doubled. Double the yeast just means faster rising times. 

Some things you will need to make Carol's Bread:
Very Large Mixing Bowl
Kitchen Scale
​Empty, Clean Tomato Juice Cans (46 fl. oz. size)
Electric Bread Knife

Small Batch with detailed instructions. 
​Makes 3 juice can loaves.

Stir together in small container until dissolved:
1/2 cup warm water
2 pkg active dry yeast
1 heaping tsp sugar
(I use my 1 cup measuring pyrex for the warm water, 2 cup measuring pyrex for larger batches, and just add the yeast and sugar. The water must be warm to activate the yeast. Cold water gets minimal action and hot water will kill the yeast. The sugar speeds up the process. The yeast will start to foam and bubble as it is dissolving in the water. Stir occationally while your working on the next step so yeast does not over expand.)

In a large mixing bowl combine:
1  3/4 cup warm water
3 TB sugar
1 TB salt
2 TB softened margerine
Activated yeast mixture above

Add 7-8 cups flour mixing in a little at a time. 
I use a large wooden spoon to mix with the small batches but start off with an electric mixer with the large batches. When the dough becomes too stiff to use the mixer, stir it in by hand. When the dough becomes too stiff to stir, turn onto a surface to knead. Letting the dough rest for about 10 minutes before kneading can make the kneading process easier. Continue to knead and add flour until the dough is no longer sticky. ​(Find a surface for kneading that works for you. With the larger batches, I don't have a board or bowl large enough to accomplish this so I use an area of my counter top and stand on a small stool so I am the right height to knead the dough.) 

Place dough in a greased large mixing bowl and let rise for about an hour. 

(Tips for bakers with young children...kneading dough is not a task you can start and stop multiple times because your hands are in the dough and messy. It's challenging to stop kneading, remove all the dough from your hands and attend to a little one. I would suggest timing this when your young children are down for a nap or somehow occupied. 
Another tip...If you get somewhere in the bread making process and need to abruptly stop, the rising dough can be covered and put in the refrigerator. The cold slows but doesn't stop the dough from rising.)

Once your dough has risen for about an hour, punch down the air from within the dough and turn it over in the bowl. Let the dough rise again until double, about 30 minutes. 

After the second rising, punch the dough down again and, using the kitchen scale, divide into 1 pound balls. Knead each ball to remove the air bubbles. (This step is a good time to involve young children and even give them a small piece of dough to work with. I used to have small loaf pans I often let my little bakers use to make their own little loaf using a 1/2 pound ball of dough. If you want to use standard size loaf pans, the dough can be divided into 1 and 1/2 lb balls and shaped into loaves.)

Place each 1 pound ball of dough into a greased juice can. Gently press the ball down to remove air that can get trapped at the bottom of the can. 

Now is a good time to preheat your oven to 350 degrees. (Be sure to put your oven rack on the lowest level and remove any extra racks so the juice cans can sit upright once they are placed there.)

Let the dough balls rise until they reach the surface of the juice cans and then place the juice cans in your oven.
Bake for 30 minutes.
The bread will form a rounded, brown "heel" at the top of the can.

Remove from oven and allow to cool slightly.
Tap the sides of the can on your counter to loosen the bread and slide the loaf out to cool on a cooling rack. 
Once the loaves of bread have cooled completely, cut into slices with an electric bread knife.

Enjoy your bread slices with your favorite spread or use for sandwiches. (Don't forget the heels are yummy too! My oldest child used to call them "hats" when she was little. I still save the hats for her!)

The slices of bread can be placed in ziplock bags and frozen. (Remember this bread doesn't have all the additives that store bought bread does to extend it's shelf live. It's alway better to freeze some of it. The bread you can consume within a few days can be stored at room temperature. 

​

Medium Batch. Makes 9 juice can loaves.
Dissolve 2 TB yeast in 1 cup warm water with 1 heaping ts sugar. Set aside.

In a large mixing bowl combine: 
5  1/4 cup warm water
2/3 cup sugar
2 TB plus 1  1/2 tsp salt
6 TB margerine
Activated yeast mixture above

Add 21 cups flour mixing in a little at a time.
Start with an electric mixer. When the dough becomes too stiff to use the mixer, stir it in by hand. When the dough becomes too stiff to stir, turn onto surface to knead.
​
Place dough in a greased large mixing bowl and let rise for about an hour.
Punch down, turn over in bowl and let rise again until double.
Punch down again. Divide dough into 1 pound balls. Knead each ball to remove air bubbles before placing in greased juice cans.

Let the dough balls rise until they reach the surface of the juice cans and then place the juice cans in your oven.
Bake for 30 minutes at 350 degrees.

Remove from oven and allow to cool slightly. Tap the sides of the can on your counter to loosen the bread and slide the loaf out to cool on a cooling rack. Once the loaves of bread have cooled completely, cut into slices with an electric bread knife.

​

Large Batch. Makes 12 juice can loaves.
Dissolve 3 TB yeast in 1 cup warm water with 1 heaping ts sugar. Set aside.
​
In a large mixing bowl combine: 
8 cup warm water
3/4 cup sugar
3 TB salt
1/2 cup margerine
Activated yeast mixture above

Add 28 cups flour mixing in a little at a time.
Start with an electric mixer. When the dough becomes too stiff to use the mixer, stir it in by hand. When the dough becomes too stiff to stir, turn onto surface to knead.
​
Place dough in a greased large mixing bowl and let rise for about an hour.
Punch down, turn over in bowl and let rise again until double.
Punch down again. Divide dough into 1 pound balls. Knead each ball to remove air bubbles before placing in greased juice cans.

Let the dough balls rise until they reach the surface of the juice cans and then place the juice cans in your oven.
Bake for 30 minutes at 350 degrees.

Remove from oven and allow to cool slightly. Tap the sides of the can on your counter to loosen the bread and slide the loaf out to cool on a cooling rack. Once the loaves of bread have cooled completely, cut into slices with an electric bread knife.