recipe: my bread recipe

i'm pretty awful at measuring things, so some things are approximate. particularly the salt. it's a little over 1 tsp. also the measuring is a little weird because it was adapted from a recipe for six loaves. (yes, i really, honestly do use half an egg. i've never tried using the whole thing.) i never actually take the temperature of the water. 105° is slightly warmer than body temperature, so i just run the water across my wrist until it feels a little bit warm.

this makes one loaf.

1 packet yeast
¼ cup warm water (105-115°)
a little less than 1 cup warm water
2 t sugar
2 t honey
1 1/8 t salt
1 T shortening
1/2 egg
2 T + 2 t instant powdered milk
3-4 cups flour (can be up to ½ whole wheat)
Optional: Add up to 2 T + 2 t instant potato flakes or mashed potatoes

1. Dissolve yeast in 1/4 cup water. Stir in the rest of the water, salt, sugar, shortening, eggs, powdered milk, potatoes (if desired) and half of the flour. Beat mixture until combined.
2. Mix in enough remaining flour until desired consistency. Turn onto floured area. Knead 10-15 minutes, adding more flour if necessary.
3. Place in greased bowl. Turn upside down. Cover with clean cloth. Let rise in warm place until double (usually 45 minutes or so).
4. Punch down and divide. Roll each piece into a rectangle and shape. Place seam side down in a greased 9x5x3 pan. Cover with cloth. Let rise until almost double.
5. Bake at 350° for 30 minutes or until the loaf sounds hollow when tapped on the bottom. Brush with butter if desired.