Sunday is my baking day.  In the morning I set out white and whole wheat bread dough, White Texas Rolls and Whole Wheat Texas Rolls.  In the afternoon, I bake the rolls followed by the white loaves and then the whole wheat loaves.  For dinner we eat the rolls and any remaining rolls are placed in a zip-lock bag and refrigerated.  My children usually devour a whole loaf of white bread when it is hot out of the oven.  I often bake up an extra loaf for a neighbor.  My neighbors are always so impressed that I took the time to bake, but they don't realize how easy it is to bake Rhodes Bread.

Preparation:

1.  Spray the top of the loaf or rolls with baking spray instead of spraying the plastic wrap.  Also, cover each loaf of bread and tucks the wrap down around each loaf a bit on the inside of the pan.  This allows the loaf to freely rise and not be constrained by the plastic wrap when the loaf rises above the edge of the pan.

2.  If you liberally coat a pan with butter the rolls or bread taste very buttery.  You can even coat the top of the loaf with butter.  Yes, it does add calories, but the flavor is greatly enhanced.  There is a reason that the Butterscotch Bubble Loaf and the Buttery Breadsticks recipes are perennial Rhodes favorite recipes- they both contain butter!

3.  The temperature of your kitchen plays a big factor in how long it will take yeast-leavened products to rise - especially the bread.  If you place the rolls or bread on a cold stone or tile countertop the thawing of the dough will be slowed.

4.  All AnyTime! products will perform better if you allow them to thaw for 30 - 60 minutes.  However, remember to reduce the baking time accordingly.  If the product is completely thawed before baking, not only will the sweet rolls be huge, they can bake in as little as 18 minutes depending on your oven.

5. Experiment - try making the different roll shapes, recipes, etc. 

Serving:

1.  Use a sharp knife and place the loaf on it's side if it is still hot from the oven.

2.  Try brushing melted butter on your bread or rolls.  It does make the product look and taste terrific.

3.  Cover warm rolls and bread with a clean dishtowel to keep the product warm and retain moisture when serving or giving to a friend or neighbor.

Storage:

1.  Allow the loaf of bread to cool completely before bagging.

2.  Baked loaves will keep in the refrigerator for a week or more.  Baked loaves will keep in the freezer for up to 3 months.  Bread loaves can be thawed in the microwave for 60 - 70 seconds on high.

3.  Rhodes bread bags are perfect for storing baked loaves of bread.  Gallon size zip-lock bags are a little too small for a loaf of bread.

4.  Baked rolls can be stored in the refrigerator for 3 - 5 days.  Rolls can be reheated for 10 - 15 seconds on high in the microwave or for 5 minutes at 350 degrees F (We call these twice-baked rolls).

Last of all, if you are not already baking Rhodes bread on a weekly basis think of the money you will save.  Most households with children spend over $500 per year on sliced bread.  Of course, you may need to bake a little more as your families' consumption of hot homebaked bread will increase if they have been eating store-bought bread!