Casserole Bread

This fast, easy bread goes great with a bowl of chili. Serve it warm. You can also add red chile powder, minced onion or chopped green chile to the dough. Make sure that all the excess moisture has been squeezed from the chopped green chile.

1 cup milk
3 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 tablespoon salt
1 1/2 tablespoons shortening
1 cup warm water
2 packages yeast
4 1/2 cups unbleached white flour

Scald the milk and stir in the sugar, salt and shortening. Cool the mixture to lukewarm. Pour the warm water into a large bowl and sprinkle with the yeast. Stir until the yeast is dissolved. Stir in the cooled milk mixture. Add the flour and stir until well blended, about 2 minutes. Cover and let the mixture rise in a warm place until more than doubled in bulk ? about 40 minutes.

Stir the batter down and beat for 30 seconds. Pour the batter into a greased 1 1/2-quart casserole. Bake at 375 degrees F for 50 to 60 minutes.