Sheepherder's Bread

This recipe was handed down to me from my grandmother.  How she acquired it, I'm not sure.  The original recipe makes a HUGE loaf of bread - enough, I assume, to serve several sheepherders throughout the day.  My grandmother made it to serve to her large family.  I finally got brave this last summer and made the bread from my grandmother's recipe, but cut the recipe in half and made it using my KitchenAid mixer.  It turned out perfect. 

I don't know what makes sheepherder's bread so special, but it has a rich, buttery, slightly salty flavor, and I think the cooking process adds to the uniqueness of the bread.  The texture of the bread itself is heavy, but somewhat airy.  It is truely a type of bread that you can't have just one slice.  It holds up well for a few days after being made, and is great slightly toasted.  My absolute favorite part of this bread is the crust.  I hope you all enjoy this as much as my family does.  

Sheepherder's Bread - the smaller version

1 1/2 c hot water

2 1/4 tsp yeast (or one packet)

1/4 c sugar

1/4 c butter

1 1/2 tsp salt

4 3/4 c flour

*To make the large loaf, double all ingredients.

In your mixer, combine 1 1/2 cups of hot (not boiling or too hot to touch) water, 2 1/4 tsp yeast (or 1 packet), and 1/4 c sugar.  Let the mixture set about 5-10 minutes until there is a good layer of foam.

To the foam mixture, add 2 3/4 cups all purpose flour, 1 1/4 tsp salt, and 1/4 cup melted butter.  Do not add the salt directly to the yeast mixture (it will start killing the yeast), add it on top of the flour. 

Using the mixing paddle, on speed 2, mix the ingredients until the batter is smooth. 

Then switch to the bread hook and add the remaining 2 cups of flour.  On low speed, mix until all the flour is incorporated and the sides of the bowl are clean.  This takes about 1 minute.  Then turn the mixer up to 2 and let the mixer knead the bread for 8 minutes. 

Remove the dough from the hook, place in the mixing bowl, cover with plastic wrap and let the dough rise until doubled.

Once the dough is doubled in size, completely cover the inside of 3 1/2 quart pot or similar size Dutch oven with aluminum foil and spray liberally with cooking oil.  If you are making the full recipe, use a 7 quart pot/Dutch oven.  Make sure the pot you use has an oven proof lid.

Remove the plastic wrap from the mixing bowl, lower the bread hook onto the dough slowly, and quickly turn on and off the mixer a few times.  Then turn the mixer on low for about 10 seconds.  Remove the dough from the bread hook and shape it into a ball and place the dough in the center of the aluminum foil lined pot.  Spray the lid with cooking spray and place the lid on the pot.

Allow the dough to rise until it lifts the lid about 1/2 of an inch.  This takes about 1 hour.  As soon as you see the lid starting to lift, pre heat the oven to 375 degrees.  Leave the lid on the dough and place the whole pot in the oven.  Bake the bread for about 35 minutes. 

The bread that you can see under the lid should be a golden brown. Remove the bread from the oven, remove the lid and lift the bread out of the pot.  Carefully peel off the foil and allow the bread to cool on a cooling rack for about an hour.  The bread cuts better if it is cooler.  Of course, if you want to serve the bread warm you can do so, just cut it slowly with a serrated knife.

My one BIG, HUGE suggestion is to serve the bread with real butter.  Not margerine, or I Can't Believe it's Not Butter, or any other butter substitutes.  If you're going to the effort to make bread, ignore the fat in the butter and treat yourself to a little slice of heaven.  Enjoy!