SHEEPHERDER'S BREAD

Steps:

• In a small saucepan heat water, sugar, margarine or butter, and salt just till warm (105° to 115°) and margarine is almost melted, stirring constantly.
• Pour mixture into a large mixing bowl. Stir in the yeast. Cover and let stand in a warm place about 15 minutes or till mixture is bubbly.
• Using a wooden spoon, stir in 4 cups of the flour, beating to form a thick batter. Stir in 3 cups more of the flour to make a moderately soft dough. (To maintain a smooth dough, add the flour in portions and stir after adding each).
• Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Knead in enough of the remaining flour to make a moderately stiff dough that is smooth and elastic (6 to 8 minutes total). Shape the dough into a ball. Place in a greased bowl; turn dough over once to grease the top surface. (This helps keep the dough from drying out.) Cover and let rise in a warm place till double (about 1 hour). The dough is rady when you can lightly and quickly press two fingertips 1/2-inch into the dough and the indentation remains.
• Punch dough down; form into a smooth ball. Cover and let rest about 10 minutes.
• Grease the bottom and sides of an ovenproof 4 1/2- to 5-quart Dutch oven. Place the dough in prepared Dutch oven. Cover and let rise till dough is about 1/2-inch below top edge of pan (about 1 hour).
• Bake bread on the lowest rack of a 325° oven for 55 to 60 minutes or till the bread sounds hollow when tapped with your finger. Cover bread with foil, if necessary, to prevent overbrowning. Remove from pan; cool on a wire rack.
• Whole Heat Sheepherder's Brad: Prepare Sheepherder's Bread as directed except reduce the all-purpose flour to 4 cups. Add the all-purpose flour to the yeast mixture as directed. Then, stir in 3 cups whole what flour. Knead as directed, ugin an additional 1/2 to 1 cup whole wheat flour. Continue as directed.
• Nutrition information per serving of bread: 291 cal., 7 g pro., 51 g carbo., 6 g fat, 0 mg chol., 270 mg sodium, 76 mg potassium, and 3 g pro. Daily Values: 17% niacin, 17% riboflavin, and 15 % iron.