Instructions: In a large bowl, sprinkle yeast over warm water; blend in ginger and 1 tablespoon of the sugar. Let stand until bubbly, about 5 minutes. Stir in remaining 2 tablespoons sugar, milk, salt and oil. Beat in 3 cups of the flour, 1 cup at a time, with a regular mixer or by hand. When dough is too stiff to beat with a mixer, beat in about 1 1/2 cups more of flour with a heavy spoon, one-half cup at a time, until dough pulls away from sides of the bowl but is too soft to knead.

Divide batter in half; place 1 portion in each of 2 well-greased 1-pound coffee cans or spoon all the batter into 1 well-greased 2-pound coffee can. Cover with a well-greased plastic lid or lids. At this point you may cover and freeze for up to 2 weeks.

Let covered cans of batter stand in a warm place until batter rises and pushes off plastic lids, 45 to 55 minutes for 1-pound cans, and 55 to 60 minutes for 2-pound can. If frozen, let batter stand in cans at room temperature until lids are pushed off, 4 to 5 hours for 1-pound cans and 6 to 8 hours for 2-pound can.

Set cans on lowest rack of a 350-degree oven. Bake uncovered until crust is very brown, about 45 minutes for a 1-pound can, about 60 minutes for a 2-pound can. Brush tops lightly with melted butter or margarine. Let cool in cans on a rack for about 5 minutes, then loosen loaves around edges of cans with a thin knife, slide bread from cans and let cool in an upright position on a rack. Serve warm or cool.

Note: If you do not intend to use the cans again, you may remove the closed end of the can and push the bread out if there is any difficulty in removing the bread.

Serving: "These are as good or better than English muffins and are delicious toasted with butter (and) jelly."

Yield: 2 pounds

NOTES :
* Make batter bread in coffee can to provide shape. The dough tells you when the bread is ready to bake; it pushes the lid off.
* Batter breads are made from soft yeast doughs that are beaten vigorously but not kneaded. Very popular at one time, and still fun to make, are loaves baked in 1-pound or 2-pound coffee cans. The can gives the loaf its distinctive shape . . . tall, round and domed.
* The plastic lid that comes with the coffee can proves useful at two stages. First, they seal the batter in the can for freezing if you want to bake the dough another time. Then, the lids tell you when the dough is ready to bake - they pop off. Dont be concerned if the lids pop off from air pressure before the dough reaches the top of the cans; just put them back on until the dough pushes them off.
*Dee writes: "They (loaves of bread baked in empty coffee cans) are good, fun to make and sell very well at bake sales. It makes a a great little round loaf of heavy-type bread and usually puffs up

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