A Simple and Easy Yeast Dough

Bake different recipes with this versatile dough.

INGREDIENTS

• 1 ½ cups whole milk
• 1/3 cup butter
• ½ cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 envelopes fast-rising active dry yeast
• ½ cup warm water – 105º – 110º
• 3 eggs – room temperature
• 1 teaspoon spice
• 7 cups flour

METHOD

1. Heat milk, butter, sugar and salt in a saucepan until all is dissolved, then let cool for about 30 seconds.
2. Dissolve yeast in water in a large bowl of your electric mixer.
3. Add the cooled milk mixture along with eggs, 3 cups of flour and your spice or extract – or just withhold if you want a plain semi-sweet bread. (Optionally you can use pumpkin spice for a pumpkin bread or cardamom for a different flavored bread. Imagination reigns here!)
4. Using dough hook, beat on medium speed for 3-5 minutes, scraping the sides and bottom of bowl several times.
5. Knead dough for 5 – 8 minutes, let rise for 1 hour, covered in the bowl and shape and bake using your own recipe or one of the following.

Buon Mangiati!