Most Versatile White Bread

This basic white bread recipe can be used for anything from pizza dough to flavored rolls with a few small changes.  It makes a great soft bread for sandwiches and garlic bread.  I will add variations onto the end.

MIX TOGETHER:

2 cups water (110 degrees)
1/2 c. white sugar
1 stick margarine or butter
2 T. good yeast (I like the Saf-Instant) Sprinkle on top of other ingredients and make sure it gets moistened completely to activate, but don't stir it up a lot.  Let sit for 5 minutes so that the yeast can bloom.

NEXT:

On top of yeast mixture, add:
5 cups flour (start with 4 and add more in to make it not too sticky, you can go as high as 6 cups, but use as little as possible to make the dough lighter)
1 T. sea salt

Mix until thoroughly wet.  Let stand for 5 minutes.
Mix or knead for 10 minutes.  Cover with a dish cloth and let raise for 2 hours.  Punch down dough and shape as desired, or continue on with variations.  Let it raise after formed for another 30 minutes.  Bake at 375 until golden brown and when you thump it, it sounds like it's starting to "hollow".  My bread usually makes 3 round loaves and usually takes around 40 minutes, but cooking time varies for loaf size and shape.  If you make it into hot rolls, it will take less time, around 25-30 minutes.

Variation 1:  Cinnamon Rolls

After the first raising, punch down the dough and sprinkle your counter with a little flour for rolling out dough. Roll dough out to about 1/4 inch thick and makes a large spread of dough.  Then spread 1 stick of butter or margarine that has been softened on your counter for a couple of hours across the dough round.  Sprinkle with a cup of sugar and generous amounts of cinnamon.  It should look fairly brown from the amount of cinnamon.  I like the Madagascar Cinnamon.   You can add chopped nuts and raisins also at this point if you like.  Next, roll the dough into a log and slice in about 2 inch thick buns.  Place buns on a greased cookie sheet with a little space in between them for room to raise.  Allow to raise for 30 minutes.  When they are about doubled, place in a 375 degree oven for around 30 minutes, or until golden on top.  When they are done and you are ready to frost, you can use either a good cream cheese frosting, or a typical powdered sugar glaze when they are mostly cooled.  Enjoy!

Variation 2:  Orange Rolls

Follow all of the steps above until you have added the sugar on the rolled out dough.  Then take a large orange and grate the rind of the orange and sprinkle that all over the rolled dough.  Next, roll the dough into a log and slice in about 2 inch thick buns.  Place buns on a greased cookie sheet with a little space in between them for room to raise.  Allow to raise for 30 minutes.  When they are about doubled, place in a 375 degree oven for around 30 minutes, or until golden on top.  

For a glaze, I juice the orange and use that for the flavoring.  Take 1/2 stick of butter or margarine and beat it with 2 cups of powdered sugar, and a teaspoon of salt.  When it is thoroughly mixed, add enough of the juice from the orange to make a nice glaze consistency and spread over the finished rolls when they are mostly cooled.  Enjoy!