Gammy's Bread Will Make You Feel RICH! by Mary McClain Frazier and M.W.King

Martha Wild King
6 days ago
4 min read

Gammy's Bread has a light texture with great appetite satisfaction. It builds strong bodies and family love.

Mary, you are my very oldest friend. We were both ten when we met at church in the 50's, and we seemed to follow a similar pattern: military wives, then mothers, and now grandmothers. You are an ARMY wife: I am a NAVY wife. I also remember visiting your home in the early days of motherhood and seeing this huge, fluffy loaf of white bread you had just baked for your family. So for my readers, please now share your bread baking expertise on how to feel instantly richer with GAMMY's BREAD.

How did you get the name Gammy? The number of loaves you have made? And how did your bread expertise come about?

Gammy came about mostly because it was easier for the young ones to say.

How many loaves over the years?

Well, I started baking bread soon after we were married. Dennis’ mother had made it all her life, and he was used to it, and as a new bride, I wanted to please him. I baked it weekly while we were in the Army in Germany, and when Dennis deployed to Vietnam, our newborn son Tyler and I stayed with my parents. My Daddy loved the bread, so I continued to bake it weekly there too. Our children loved it, and I baked it often, probably 1-2 times a month. As they grew older, baking slowed but picked up again when the grandchildren were born, starting in 2003. I returned to weekly baking. In recent years, it has dropped to monthly or less…mostly for special occasions. Overall, I’d say I’ve baked 1,000 or more loaves.

How do you feel when you bake it? And why have you continued for over 55 years?

I like the feel of baking … combining the ingredients and kneading the dough. I get joy from doing something so basic to life…the way our ancestors did…the way they did in Christ’s day. And I love the joy I see in the eyes of my children and grandchildren when they are surprised by a hot loaf of bread fresh from the oven.

There's a lot of family interaction when the young children help you bake. You know you are passing a loving experience on to them. And my daughter and daughter-in-law both now bake this wonderful bread.

ed: King Arthur, G

Gammy's Bread Recipe

Mary McClain Frazier

INGREDIENTS

½ cup warm water (no hotter than 100 F)
1 package of Rapid Rise Yeast
2 Tablespoons sugar
1-3/4 cups lukewarm milk that has been scalded and cooled to about 100 F. (Scalded milk is milk heated to just below boiling when small bubbles are forming on edge of pan, then cooled down)
2 Tablespoons vegetable oil
5-6 cups of sifted flour (bread flour preferred: King Arthur, Gold Medal, Pillsbury)
1 Tablespoon salt

INSTRUCTIONS

Dissolve the yeast and 2 tablespoons of sugar in ½ cup of warm water. (takes about 10 minutes)
In a separate sauce pan, scald 1-3/4 cups milk and set aside to cool.
- Add 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil to the cooling milk
In a large bowl sift 5 cups of bread flour. Sift 1 teaspoon of salt evenly with the flour.
- Make a “well” in the center of the flour
Pour yeast mixture into the “well” and pour the milk into the well gradually mixing it into the flour.
- I use a big wooden spoon at first and then use my hands to work all the ingredients together. I put butter on my hands while working the dough.
Knead the dough until it’s no longer sticky. I spread flour on a clean surface to work the dough. You can also use a mixer with a dough hook. Work the dough until it’s no longer sticky and holds together.
- You may have to add a little more flour or water depending on how the dough feels. Kneading usually takes about 10 minutes.
Round up the dough into a ball and place it into a bowl that has been greased with butter. Roll the dough over at least once in the bowl to lightly spread the butter all over the dough ball which will keep the dough from drying out.
Place a clean damp cloth over the bowl and place it in an area of about 85F.
- I usually put mine in the oven with a bowl of warm water beside it on the oven rack and close the oven door.
Let the dough rise until double in size. (about 2 hours)
Remove the dough from the oven and punch it down, create a new shaped loaf to put in a greased loaf pan. I use a 9” x 5” loaf pan
Let the bread dough rise in the loaf pan in a warm place like before, until it is double in size. (about 60 minutes)
Place the loaf pan with risen bread dough in a preheated over (350F) Bake for 1 hour or until golden brown.
If the bread crust starts to get too dark on top, drape aluminum foil over the top.
Enjoy!