This took quite a bit of experimenting to get right. This is a basic bread recipe, there are some variations at the bottom. Whenever I make bread I can’t help but think that there are women on every continent making bread just as I am.

This recipe makes 2 9″x5″ loaves or one large round loaf

Mix together 2 cups milk and 1/2 cup of water, then microwave the milk-water until it is warm but not hot to the touch, as you would do for a babies bottle.

Add 1 packages) ( ~2 Tablespoons ) of yeast and stir well with a fork or whip so yeast is dissolved in the milk-water

In a large mixing bowl mix:
7 cups flour
2 Tablespoons of sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda

Add the milk-water-yeast mix to the dry ingredients and mix about 5 minutes until smooth and elastic.

Let rise ~ hour until double in volume then knead for about 5 minutes.

Shape into one large round, or two rectangle loaves and place into pans that have been oiled and sprinkled with a bit of cornmeal ( it helps keep the loaves from sticking )
bake at 400′ until a knife comes out clean or knocking on the loaf with your hand gives back hollow sound.

Variations
Cinnamon loaf
Mix 1/2c (one stick ) melted butter, 1/2 cup of sugar, 1 Tablespoon of cinnamon together.
Rollout bread till it is ~1″ thick.
Spread butter mix all over dough
Roll up the dough ( like a jelly roll )
Cut in half and place in two 9×5 pans and bake at 400 till done

Focciata
Mix
1 Tablespoon salt
1/2 cup of any cheese that is not sweet
1/2 cup of oil (olive or grape seed )
3 Tablespoons of various diced fresh herbs

Mix this well into the dough and place the dough in a well oiled pan and drizzle a bit more oil across the top. Focciata is usually quite flat so I usually use a pizza pan or cookie sheet and place the dough on it about 2″ thick. Bake at 400′ until done.

Dinner rolls
Roll the dough in to balls as if you were making meatballs, but the balls should be ~ 3″ in diameter. Place these snuggly in a well oiled cookie pan and bake at 400′ till done.