Recipe: Dutch Crunch Bread

Dutch Crunch Bread

Topping Ingredients:
1/4 cup sweet rice flour
1/4 t salt
1 T sugar
1 T salad oil
4 t water

Stir together dry ingredients, then stir in oil and water.

The bread is made up of:
1 pckg yeast
1 1/4 c warm water
2 T sugar
1 cup warm milk
2 T butter or marg.
1 1/2 t salt
6 to 6 1/2 cups flour

In a large bowl of electric mixer, sprinkle yeast over 1/4 cup of the water. Add 1 t sugar and let stand until yeast is dissolved, about 5 minutes. Stir in the remaining
water and warm milk, butter, salt and remaining sugar. Add 4 cups of the flour. Blend, then beat at medium speed until smooth and elastic, about 5 minutes. Stir in enough of the remaining flour to make a soft dough. Turn dough out onto a board or pastry cloth coated with some of the remaining flour and knead until dough is soft and smooth, about 8-10 minutes. Turn dough into a greased bowl.
Cover with plastic wrap and a damp towel and let rise until doubled in bulk (1 to 1 1/4 hours). Punch down dough and divide into 2 equal portions.

Preheat oven to 375.

Shape into loaves and place in greased 8 X 4 pans. Spread half of the Dutch crunch mixture on each loaf. Let rise until almost doubled (about 45 minutes to an hour). Bake until loaves are well browned and sound hollow when tapped (40 to 45 minutes). Remove from pans and cool completely on wire racks.