This is the recipe that my husband’s grandmother made for her family, my mother-in-law made for hers, and I have inherited the fun of making this bread for mine. We particularly like this fresh out of the oven, and then eat it daily for breakfast. My father-in-law at 86 years old bragged about never having eaten a slice of ‘store bought bread.’
Original recipe makes 4 loaves
Ingredients
1 medium potato, peeled
2 cups water
1 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup white sugar
1/3 cup shortening
1 tablespoon salt
6 cups warm milk
3 (.25 ounce) packages active dry yeast
1/2 cup warm water (110 degrees F/45 degrees C)
1 teaspoon white sugar
15 cups whole wheat flour
Directions
- Dissolve yeast and 1 teaspoon sugar in 1/2 cup warm water.
- Boil one medium peeled potato in 2 cups water with 1 teaspoon salt. Mash the potato in a medium bowl, while reserving the water. Combine the mashed potato, potato water, 1/3 cup of sugar, shortening or oil, 1 tablespoon salt, and milk in a large bowl.
- Make sure the milk mixture is warm, and add the yeast. Stir in 15 cups of whole wheat flour.
- Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Knead for about 10 minutes. Place in greased bowl, and turn to coat the surface. Cover with a damp cloth, and allow to rise until doubled. Rising time will be about 1 1/2 hours. Punch down, and knead again for 3 minutes. Place back in bowl, and allow to rise again until doubled. The second rising period should be about 1 hour. Punch down. Form 4 loaves, and place into 9 x 5 inch greased bread pans. Let dough rise again for 30 – 60 minutes.
- Bake at 325 degrees F (165 degrees C) for 1 hour.
Nutrition
Calories: 165 kcal
Carbohydrates: 31.1 g
Cholesterol: 2 mg
Fat: 2.7 g
Fiber: 4.7 g
Protein: 6.4 g
Sodium: 209 mg
