Zwieback

Ingredients

2 cups warm milk
2 teaspoons + 3 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons yeast
3 cups + 3 cups flour
1 1/2 tablespoons salt
2/3 cup melted lard or oil
3 to 3 1/2 cups flour

This is a holiday bun for Kansas Mennonites. I obtained recipes from various Mennonite students of mine from the Hutchinson vicinity. Leftover buns are sliced and toasted.

Make your yeast mixture of milk, yeast, and the 2 teaspoons of sugar.
Sift the first 3 cups of flour and the sugar into a big bowl.
Add the yeast mixture, mix, and let it rise.
After the first rise, add the salt, lard, and other 3 cups of flour (maybe a little more flour).
Knead the dough and let it rise again.
After the second rise, pinch off pieces of dough and set them on top each other, arranged on greased baking sheets--a small piece atop a larger piece, like building a snowman.
One more rise, on the cooking sheet, while heating the oven to 400^o
Bake for 20-25 minutes.