Instructions

1. Grease the inside of the bread pan with the cooking oil or the butter to prepare it for baking. Coat every interior surface liberally with oil or butter.

2. Shape the bread dough into a loaf after the first rise finishes.

3. Place the bread dough into the cast iron loaf pan and allow the bread dough to rise a second time. When the bread dough is nicely rounded and it resembles a loaf of bread, the bread dough is ready to bake.

4. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

5. Bake the bread dough in the oven until it browns attractively and sounds hollow when you tap it lightly. Baking time will generally take between 25 and 35 minutes.

6. Remove the baking pan from the oven and place it onto baking rack to cool.

7. Spread a light coating of butter onto the crust while the bread is hot, if you desire. This will make a more tender crust. If you prefer a crispy crust, omit the butter.

8. Cool the bread in the cast iron baking pan for ten minutes.

9. Slide the blade of the butter knife around the perimeter of the bread to loosen it from the pan. After loosening the bread completely, turn it out of the pan and cool it completely on the cooling rack.

10. Wash the cast iron baking pan by hand. Use dishwashing detergent, if you wish. Plain hot water is sufficient for washing cast iron; however. Remove all traces of food from the bread pan. If you used dishwashing detergent, rinse the bread pan carefully to ensure all traces of soap rinse away. Dry the bread pan with paper towels before putting it away.