Broth Bread

Yield: 12 large sandwich rolls or about 18 2-oz rolls or 2 standard loaves

Combine the flour, sugar, salt, and yeast in a large bowl and mix well. Add the butter/lard and broth. Stir to combine into a rough, sticky dough.

Knead the dough, by hand or in a mixer with dough hook, until a very soft, slightly sticky dough takes shape. Continue kneading for 5 to 10 minutes, or until the dough is very smooth. (If using a mixer, the dough should mostly pull away from the sides of the bowl. If it still acts like a batter, add small amounts of flour until it balls up slightly.

**Don’t be afraid of sticky, loose dough. The stickier it is, the lighter your final loaves will be.

Transfer the dough to an oiled bowl (turn the dough over once to coat it with oil), cover with a towel, and leave to rise in a draft free place until doubled in bulk, about 1 1/2 hours.

Punch down the dough and divide it into 12 portions, 18 2-oz portions, or two loaves.

For rolls, Shape each portion into a ball (the smoother the top, the nicer the baked roll's appearance will be) and place on a baking pan lined with parchment.

For sandwich buns, form the balls into discs weighing approximately 1.5-2 oz each, and place on a baking pan lined with parchment.

For bread loaves, form a cylinder, folding loose ends to the underside of the loaf so the top looks smooth. Place in silicon loaf pan, or metal/glass loaf pan lined with parchment.

Cover with a towel, and leave to rise for another hour or longer, until light and puffy.

Preheat your oven to 425° F (220° C). Bake the large rolls for about 20 minutes, small buns for 12-14 minutes, and loaves for 20 minutes, or until a rich golden brown. Remove the rolls from the oven, brush the tops lightly with melted butter if desired, and transfer to a rack to cool, covered by a towel.

Both the dough and the cooked bread freeze very well, but thawed dough does not rise as easily as freshly made dough.

For cinnamon swirl raisin bread, add 1 cup of raisins to the mixer toward the end of kneading, and allow to mix fully. Divide the dough into 2 portions (two loaves), and roll into a long rectangle about ½” thick and approximately the size of a sheet of legal paper. Brush top surface with melted butter or coconut oil, and sprinkle lightly with cinnamon and dry sugar (honey may result in a very messy loaf!). Starting at a short end, roll the loaf up tightly enough that there are no gaps, but not by attempting to stretch the dough (it may tear). Tuck the tips of the roll under, and place in prepared loaf pan. Bake as usual.

Notes
I have had success substituting some rye or whole wheat flour, but you may need to adjust the amount of liquid and the rise time to accommodate changes.