Sally Lunn bread, as far as I recall, is the only homemade yeast bread my family ate growing up.  Perhaps because of that, I have fond memories of it and think of it as a comfort bread. I don’t usually make it to accompany a meal because for me, it’s a meal unto itself: a perfect snack on a lazy afternoon.

Ingredients:

3/4 cup milk

2 tablespoons sugar

1 teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons butter

1 package active dry yeast

1/4 cup water

2 3/4 (plus more) all-purpose (or bread) flour

1 egg

Directions:

1. Scald milk.  Add sugar, salt and butter; stir to dissolve.  Pour into large bowl and cool until lukewarm.

2. While milk mixture cools, sprinkle dry yeast into the warm water; stir to dissolve.

3. Add 2 cups of the sifted flour to the cooled milk.  Mix well , then beat until smooth.

4. Stir in dissolved yeast and water mixture.  Add egg and beat at least one minute.

5. Stir in remaining flour and beat until smooth (about 2 minutes)- you may need more than 2 3/4 cup.  Scrape down batter from sides of bowl.

6. Cover and let dough rise until doubled (one hour).

7. After dough has doubled, stir down and turn batter into a greased loaf pan.  Let dough rise until doubled (one hour).

8. Bake dough for 45 minutes.  Turn loaf onto a cooling rack and cool slightly before serving.