My Favorite Bread Machine Recipe

Here's my favorite bread recipe, adapted for use in the bread machine. I use the 2 lb loaf setting and the dough cycle, then bake the bread in two pans in the oven. I then slice both, and freeze one (it only keeps for two days without freezing). However, you could cut the recipe in half and bake it in your bread maker - I just like the shape of the bread better from my oven!

Here's the order I put in the bread machine:

2 cups warm water with 2 TBSP warm water
1 TBSP salt
3 TBSP shortening
2 TBSP sugar
5 cups flour
1 packet yeast


If you want to bake it in the bread machine, cut the recipe in half:

1 cup warm water with 1 TBSP warm water
2 tsp salt
1 TBSP + 2 tsp shortening
1TBSP sugar
2 1/2 cups flour
1 1/4 tsp bread machine yeast (from jar - much cheaper than packets if you bake a lot!)