3 cups very hot tap water
1/2 cup (1/4 lb.) butter or margarine
1/3 cup sugar
2-1/2 teaspoons salt
2 packages active dry yeast
9 to 9-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
Salad oil
In a large bowl, combine hot water, butter, sugar, and salt. Stir until butter has melted; let cool to about 110 degrees. Stir in yeast, cover and set in a warm pace until bubbly (about 15 minutes).
Beat in about 5 cups of the flour to make a thick batter. Stir in enough of the remaining flour (about 31/2 cups) to make a stiff dough. Turn dough out onto a floured board; knead until smooth and satiny (10 to 20 minutes), adding flour as needed to prevent sticking. Place dough in a greased bowl; turn over to grease top. Cover and let rise until doubled (about 1-1/2 hours).
Punch dough down and knead briefly on a floured board to release air; shape into a smooth ball. With a circle of foil, cover the inside bottom of a 5-quart cast-iron or cast-aluminium Dutch oven Grease foil, inside of Dutch oven, and underside of lid with salad oil.
Place dough in Dutch oven and cover with lid. Let rise in a warm place until dough pushes up lid by about 1/2 inch (about 1 hour-watch closely).
Bake, covered with lid, in a preheated 375 degree oven for 12 minutes. Remove lid and bake for another 30 to 35 minutes or until loaf if golden brown. Remove from oven and turn out onto a rack to cool (you’ll need a helper). Peel off foil and turn loaf upright.
Makes one very large loaf.