Sheepherder’s Bread Recipe
The recipe doesn't call for sophisticated equipment or complicated methods, and it only calls for basic cupboard ingredients. Because of its accessibility, even novices can use it. It complements almost any dish, sweet or salty. Cheese, garlic, or herbs may be added to it for an extra touch. Like most other breads that are prepared at home, shepherd bread should be consumed as soon as it is ready. However, if handled correctly, it has a longer shelf life of about two days.
Ingredients
- 3 cups Very hot water
- 1/2 cup Margarine
- 1⁄2 cup Sugar
- 2 1/2 teaspoons Salt
- 4 1/2 teaspoons Active dry yeast
- 9 1/2 cups All-purpose flour (un-sifted)
- Salad oil
Instructions
- Add the salt, sugar, butter, and water to a large bowl. Stir until the butter has melted completely, then cool the mixture to 110 to 115 degrees, stirring constantly.
- Add the yeast, cover, and set in a warm place to rise for about fifteen minutes or until bubbles start to form.
- Add 5 C flour and beat to form a thick batter. Then, continue adding the remaining three and a half cups of flour until the mixture forms a stiff dough. Knead the dough for ten minutes on a floured surface, then transfer the dough to an oiled bowl and cover, allowing it to sit in a warm place for 1.5 hours or until the dough has doubled in size and fully risen. After kneading and punching down, make a smooth ball. I kneaded the dough 3 times.
- Grease the inside of the Dutch oven and the inside of the lid with salad oil. Place dough in a Dutch oven and cover it with a lid to let rise for the third time. Let rise in a warm place until dough pushes up the lid about 1/2 inch (watch closely).
- Once you preheat the oven to 375 degrees, place your dish in for 12 minutes with a lid. Once you’ve done that, remove the lid and place your dish back in the oven for an additional 30 to 35 minutes. Once it sounds hollow and slightly golden brown, you can take your dish out and let it cool on a rack.