Instructions: The water can be: milk, soup, tomato juice, potato water, sour cream, buttermilk, eggs, or???

The shortening can be butter, oil, bacon drippings, mayonnaise, oleomargarine, or ??

The sugar can be: white sugar, brown sugar, honey, molasses, maple syrup, leftover frostings, dark or lite corn syrup, or??

The flour can be: all white, whole wheat, light, medium or dark rye, pumpernickel rye, corn meal, rolled oats or oat flour, millet meal, sunflower seed meal, graham flour, all bran, wheat germ, buckwheat. Just dont put more than three types of flour in one loaf or you lose the identity of whatever else you add.

Additional flavorings: Cardamom, caraway, fennel, anise,cinnamon, nutmeg, orange peel, lemon peel, nuts of all kinds, dried fruits of all kinds, just so it doesnt create an undesirable color or effect.

For a four loaf size, you just double the two loaf batch recipe. Use what you have on hand, just follow basic bread directions, relax and have some fun inventing your own personal loaf.

NOTES : For those who are interested in making bread by hand, rather than ABM, here is a formula I have had for at least 30 years that is very useful. I think it originated with Minnesotas Super Cook Bea Ojakangas but I am not positive!

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