Basque Bread

Ingredients

Three cups warm water – Should feel warm but not hot.

Seven cups flour

Two tablespoons yeast

Two tablespoons sugar

One teaspoon salt

One tablespoon shortening (either Crisco or lard)

Directions

1. Place water, sugar, salt and yeast into a large bowl. Let stand for a couple of minutes.
2. Add five cups of flour into the bowl. Using a fork stir the mixture until the liquid is incorporated into the flour.
3. Add a half cup of flour and stir with fork as before.
4. Now attempt to gather the dough into a ball. If the dough is sticky then add more flour until it’s moist but not sticky, so add a little water at a time until the dough is moist. Stop if it starts sticking to your hand.
5. Next rub 1/4 th of the shortening onto your hand and knead the dough for about a minute. Repeat this until the shortening is gone. Add a little (Teaspoon) flour if the dough is sticky or a little water if it’s dry.
6. Now knead the dough for four more minutes. After kneading place the dough in the bowl and cover with atowel. Let it rest for about an hour in a warm place.
7. Knead the dough again for about four minutes. The dough should get a wax-like shine to it. Cover and let it rest for an hour
8. Break the dough up into rolls and arrange them in a prepared baking dish (butter or cooking spray). Larger rolls will be good for slicing, while smaller rolls make a great snack or dinner roll
9. Cover the dish and let rest in a warm place for an hour
10. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees farenheight
11. Bake the rolls for 20-25min or until the tops turn gold
12. Once the rolls are out of the oven remove them from the pan and place them on a cooling rack
13. Brush the tops of the rolls with melted butter while they cool