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Yeast: Grandma's REAL Homemade Bread

Source of Recipe

Grandma's Cottage Bed & Breakfast , Port Republic, VA
Flour
(to fill a very, very large bowl)
Active Dry Yeast
(what you can hold in the hollow of your hand up to the first knuckle 3 times)
Sugar
(what you can hold in the hollow of your hand even with your fingertips 4 times)
Salt
(what you can hold in the hollow of your hand even with your fingertips 2 times)
Shortening
(size of a large turkey egg)
Warm Water
(enough to make dough)

In a large bowl put flour, making a well in the center. Add yeast, sugar, salt and shortening. Cut into flour with a pastry cutter, mixing the ingredients. Make a well again in the center and add warm water. Mix with a wooden spoon until you have a soft dough. At this point you may need to add a little more water if too dry or a little more flour if too moist. Knead dough with the heels of both hands until the dough "snaps" and feels soft when you "pinch" it (about 10 minutes). Place in lightly greased bowl, turning once to cover top of the dough with a little shortening. Place cloth over the bowl and place in warm place, letting rise until double in bulk. Punch down the dough, shape into loaves or rolls, place into well-greased pans, and let rise again until double in bulk. Bake in oven at 350 degrees until the tip is golden brown and the bread has a slight hollow sound when tapped (about 1/2 hour). Makes about 5 loaves or 6 dozen rolls. Bread freezes well for up to six weeks.

Note: I only use Robin Hood All Purpose Flour and Crisco Shortening. It makes a difference in my bread. In the winter, the bread rises very well next to the old wood cookstove. Also, when I bake the bread, I only put one pan full at a time in the oven. That way you get an overall browning effect that is even.

If you must measure, the ingredients are as follows, but I think the bread does better when you use a pinch, handful, etc.

16 cups of flour, more or less
3 Tbsps or 3 pkgs of active dry yeast
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup salt
3/4 cup shortening
6 cups warm water, more or less