Old Fashioned Yeast Bread

5 3/4 - 6 1/4 cups All-purpose Flour
2 packages Active Dry Yeast
2 1/4 cups Milk
1 cup Sugar
2 tsp Salt
1 Tbls Shortening

Preheat oven to 375F. Grease 2 loaf pans. In large mixing bowl combine 2 1/2 cups of flour and the yeast. In sauce pan heat milk, sugar, shortening and salt just till warm (115 to 120 ^F), stirring constantly till shorting is almost melted. Add to dry mixture. Beat at low speed with electric mixer for 1/2 minute scraping sides of bowl constantly. Beat on high speed for 3 minutes. By hand stir in enough flour to make a moderately stiff dough.

Turn out onto lightly floured surface and knead till smooth and elastic (8 to 10 minutes). Shape into ball and place in lightly greased bowl turning once to grease surface. Cover and let rise in warm place until doubled (about 1 1/4 hour). Punch dough down. Turn out onto lightly floured surface and divide in half. Shape each onto ball and let rest for 10 minutes. Roll in to 12 x 8 inch rectangle. Starting at narrow edge, roll up tightly and seal ends by tucking under loaf. (situate seam on bottom of loaf also.) Place into loaf pans and let rise until doubled (45 to 60 minutes).

Bake for 45 minutes or till done. If top browns to quickly cover loosely with tin foil last 15 minutes. Remove from pans and cool on wire racks. This recipe also works well as rolls.