Perfect White Bread and Cinnamon Swirl Bread

This recipe is from Better Homes and Gardens, and makes 2 loaves. Growing up we loved it when mom would make bread. If we were really lucky, she'd make us cinnamon swirl bread. That made the best toast. I can still smell it and taste it, and on a cold fall day there is nothing better.

Perfect White Bread:

1 package active dry yeast

1/4 cup warm water

2 cups milk, scalded

2 tbsp sugar

2 tsp salt

1 tbsp shortening

5 3/4 - 6 1/4 cups flour

Soften yeast in warm water (110 degrees). Combine hot milk, sugar, salt and shortening. Cool to luke warm. Stir in 2 cups flour and beat well. Add yeast and mix. Add enough of the remaining flour to make a moderately stiff dough. Turnout on lightly floured surface and knead until smooth and satiny (8-10 minutes). Shape into a ball and place in a lightly greased bowl, turn once to grease surface. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled (about 1 1/4 hours). Punch down.

Cut dough into two portions. Shape each into a smooth ball. Cover and let them rest 10 more minutes. Shape into loaves. Place in 2 greased 9 x 5 x 3 inch loaf pans. Cover and let rise until doubled (45-60 minutes). Bake in a hot oven (400 degrees) 35 minutes or until done. If tops brown too fast, cover loosely with foil for the last 15 minutes.

Cinnamon Swirl Bread:

Make the Perfect White Bread recipe above increasing sugar to 1/3 cup and shortening to 1/4 cup. After first rising, roll dough to two 15 x 7 inch rectangles.

Combine 1/2 cup sugar with 1 tbsp cinnamon. Spread half over each rectangle. Sprinkle 1 1/2 tsp water over each. Roll into loaves. Continue as for Perfect White Bread. Bake at 375 for 30 minutes.