Auntie Lily's White Bread

So as with all my aunt Lily's recipes, and my grandmothers, this recipe is a little short on the details so required some trial and error. I've recorded it as is as I never seem to remember to write down what I've done when I do it so I can adjust the recipe. I have to confess I am pretty partial to the breadmaker after having to make bread over 400 times the last two years. In the photo below the white bread on the left is Lily's white bread.

Ingredients

1/2 cup water
1 tbsp fast rising yeast
4 1/2 cups warm water
1 tbsp shortening (if you can't find shortnening use 1 tbsp vegetable oil)
1 tbsp white sugar
1 tbsp salt
Flour

Preparation

Dissolve the yeast in the 1/2 cup of water. In the 4 1/2 cups of warm water dissolve the shortening. Add the sugar and the salt. mix in enough flour to make a soft dough. Add the water and yeast mixture and more flour if necessary. Grease the top of the dough and let rise until double (about 1.5 hours). Punch down the dough and let rise again until double. Shape into loaves and let rise again until double. Bake at 400 F for approximately 30 minutes.

For whole wheat bread substitute half of the white flour for whole wheat.