Faux Sourdough

In keeping with recipes that save some time during the busy Holiday season, here's one I call "Faux Sourdough".  Plain yogurt in this bread recipe gives it a sourdough like tang.  Now nothing tastes exactly like real sourdough except real sourdough, but this bread has a good flavor and you can either bake it in a pan or free form it, depending on how moist you make the dough.

This bread can go from dough to finished loaf in as little as 3 hours.  That may not seem like a time saver, but if you've ever made bread, especially sourdough, you know that is pretty good.

1 Cup plain yogurt
2-3/4 cups AP or bread flour
2 tablespoons sugar
3 tablespoons oil
1 packet yeast
1/4 cup milk
water

Put the flour, sugar and yeast in a bowl.
Add the yogurt and mix it in, then the oil, mix more and then the milk.
Work the dough a bit at this point.  It will most likely still be pretty dry as far as dough goes.
As you work the dough, add water 1 tablespoon at a time, mixing well after each addition, until you reach the desired consistency.
Turn the dough out onto a floured board and knead for 10 - 15 minutes.
Let the dough rest while you oil another bowl and oil a 9X5 loaf pan.
Place the dough ball in the oiled bowl and turn the ball until it is oiled all around.
Shape into a loaf to fit the pan and place it in the pan.
To get a quick rise you need a warm place of about 80*F.
You can start with a COLD oven, turn it to it's lowest setting and let it warm for 1 minute and then turn it off.
Cover the pan with a clean towel and set in the warm place (example the warmed oven) and let it rise until it is equal to the top of the pan or even an inch above the edges.
Cook at 350*F for 45-50 mins, until the loaf sounds hollow when tapped upon, or to an internal temp of 195-200 with a thermometer.
Let cool for 10 mins, then turn onto a wire rack to finish cooling.

I like this bread still slightly warm, with lots of butter!