Double-Quick Dinner Buns

3/4 c. water (110 – 115 degrees)

1 pkg active dry yeast

1/4 c sugar

1 tsp salt

2 1/4 c. flour

1 egg

1/4 c. soft shortening or butter

Dissolve yeast in water in mixing bowl. Add to to yeast mixture, sugar, salt and about half the flour. Beat thoroughly 2 minutes. Add egg and shortening. Then beat in gradually remaining flour until smooth. Let rise in bowl for 40-50 minutes in a warm place (85 degrees). Stir down batter and drop into greased medium muffin cups. Heat oven to hot 425 degrees. Bake for 10 minutes. Makes 1 dozen.

SOURDOUGH FRENCH BREAD (short method)

1 1/2 cups warm water

1 pkg yeast

1 cup sourdough start

4 cups unsifted flour

2 tsp. sugar

2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp. soda

2 cups unsifted flour

Pour warm water (110 degrees) into a large mixing bowl and stir in the yeast. Add the start, 4 cups of flour and sugar. Stir vigorously for 3 or 4 minutes. Cover and place in a warm spot until it nearly doubles in bulk (about 2 hours).

Mix soda and salt with one cup of flour and stir in. Turn the dough out into 1 cup of flour. Spread it on a bread board. Coat with flour and knead until satiny, adding more flour if necessary.

Put dough into a dutch oven with parchment paper on the bottom. Put in a warm place to rise.

When nearly doubled in size (2 hours), brush lightly with salad oil and make diagonal slashes across the top with a single edge razor blade. The dough is delicate, so brush the oil gently and make the slashes clean and shallow or it will fail.

Bake in preheated oven 450 degrees for 30 minutes (or until the crust is an attractive brown). Put the lid on and bake for 10 minutes more.

If you like a heavier, tougher crust, take the bread from the oven 10 minutes early and wipe the crust with salt water, then return to the oven to finish baking.

FRENCH PEASANT BREAD

1 package dry yeast

2 cups warm water

1 TBSP sugar

2 teaspoons salt

4 cups flour

oil

corn meal

melted butter

Place yeast, water, sugar, and salt in a warm bowl and stir until dissolved. Add flour and stir until blended. Cover and let one hour or until doubled in size. Flour hands, remove dough from the bowl and place in 2 rounds on an oiled cookie sheet sprinkled with corn meal. Let rise an additional hour. Brush the top with melted butter and bake at 425 degrees for 10 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 375 degrees and cook an additional 15 minutes. Remove from oven and brush again with butter. SERVE WARM! Wow!