Dad's Homemade Bread - perfected!

2T yeast
5 1/2 c water
1/2 c sugar (i always add an additional 1/2 c of splenda--sugar substitute)
1/2 c oil
2 1/2 t of salt
flour 50/50 white/whole wheat 14+ cups
optional:
1/2-1c of gluten (wish I had it here) use it unless you want to knead bread a lot.
1-4 eggs
1/2 of powdered milk

directions:
warm water 110-120 deg F approx
add sugar and yeast, mix, wait for a few minutes to make sure the yeast is working.
add sugar subs, oil, and any opptional items.
add 1/2 of flour and mix well
add salt (i understand if salt is added to early in the process it kills the yeast, not sure if this a "wives tale" or not)
add flour a cup or so at a time and mix and knead, I u se my hands (wash first) and used to use rubber gloves, but don't anymore.
stop adding flour when lump is still tacky (the lump begins to pull away from the pan edge and from your hands)

knead, 10 minutes (unless using gluten, then can reduce the kneading)
oil coat a large pan, put lump in pan, make sure a thin coat of oil is on the exterior of the lump (facilitates rising)
cover with plastic bag set in semi warm place and let rise until lump is double in size, usually takes an hour or so.
grease 4 large bread pans or 5-6 smaller ones and divide the lump and knead and shape into loaves for each pan.

let raise another hour until double in size or so.

bake 1/2 hour 350-400 deg F depending on the type of crust you want.