Confessions of a "Bread-aholic"

If there was just one food that I could eat for the rest of my life, I would want it to be bread. There is nothing more tempting than the smell of fresh baked bread, and smothering it in jam makes it impossible to resist! My new favorite bread recipe comes from Betty Crocker and is entitled "Rich Egg Bread."

-3 to 3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
-1/4 cup sugar
-1 1/2 teaspoons salt
-1 package regular or quick active dry yeast
-1 cup very warm water (120 degrees F)
-2 tablespoons vegetable oil
-1 large egg
-butter melted, if desired
            *1 loaf

 In large bowl, mix 1 1/2 cups of the flour, the sugar, salt and yeast. Add warm water and oil. Beat with an electric mixer on low speed 1 minute, scraping bowl frequently. Beat on medium speed 1 minute. Add egg; beat until smooth. P.S. I doubled my recipe...erego two eggs :)

Stir in enough remaining flour to make dough easy to handle.



Place dough on lightly floured surface. Knead about 10 minutes or until dough is smooth and springy. Grease large bowl and place dough in bowl, turning to grease all sides. Cover and let rise in warm place about 1 hour. Dough is ready if indentation remains when touched.

Flatten dough with hands or rolling pin into rectangle, then roll up tightly to form a log shape. Pinch edges to seal. Place loaf, seam side down, in greased loaf pan. Cover and let rise until doubled in size; approximately 1 hour.

Heat oven to 375. Bake 30-35 minutes or until loaf is deep golden brown and sounds hollow when tapped. Remove from pan to wire rack. Brush loaf with butter; cool.

The smell of this bread as it's baking will have you checking the oven repeatedly as you anxiously wait for it to finish. I promise. :)

So pretty with the butter melted on top...plus tasty! The worst part about this bread is how quickly it disappears...within an hour of these two loaves coming out of the oven, this is what remained:

I suppose this wouldn't be too terrible, except that in my house it's just myself and my husband... what can I say? We are bread-aholics! 
Try this delicious recipe and it just might become your addiction as well. :)