Makes 3 / 6 loaves
4 / 8 cups warm water
1/8 / 1/4 cup active dry yeast
Dash of white granulated sugar
1 Tbsp / 2 Tbsp salt
1/3 / 2/3 cup olive oil
1/3 / 2/3 cup honey or sugar
7-9 / 14-17 cups all-purpose flour
Mix first 3 ingredients in mixer bowl and let foam for 10 minutes covered.
After 10 minutes, add salt, oil, honey/sugar and 4 cups of flour. Mix well. Add remaining flour (ONE CUP AT A TIME) until dough is smooth and pulls away from the sides of the bowl.
Knead in mixer for 3-5 minutes. Place dough in a large greased bowl and spray dough with cooking spray. Then cover with a dish towel and let the dough rise until doubled in size, 30-45 minutes. Generously grease 3-6 loaf pans and set aside.
Punch down the dough, turn it out onto a lightly floured surface, and knead it briefly (in mixer or by hand) to remove the air bubbles. Divide dough into 3-6 equal portions, knead each section a few times, and then shape into a loaf. Place the dough into prepared loaf pans. Let rise 30-45 minutes.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Bake the loaves for 30 minutes. Immediately remove loaves from pans and cool on a wire rack. Rub the top with butter while still hot! You can freeze this bread in a freezer bag for up to 2 months!
