Directions:

Grease 4 loaf pans with shortening.

In a bowl, add the dry yeast (or yeast cake) to the 4c of lukewarm water, stir. Add the 3 tbls of shortening and let stand. It will not mix , just float in there :)

In a large bowl, combine the sugar, salt, and flour.

Pour the water-yeast-shortening into the suger-salt-flour and mix with your hands until a dough forms. Knead the dough into a ball and cover. Let rise for 1-1.5 hours or until the dough ball has doubled in size. A warm location (like by an oven that's on) will speed up the rising process.

Punch down and knead the dough ball again working it into a ball. You really can't overwork it. Let rise for another hour, or until it doubles once more.

Punch down and knead it a final time. Pull out hunks to make loaves. Form the hunks into a ball and elongate a little to fit into your loaf pan. Smooth the top by pulling the sides and tucking under. Keep in mind that the dough will again double in size, so the dough you place in the loaf pan should look smallish.

Preheat oven to 350. Let the dough rise another 30-60 minutes. The pans will be full. Stab each loaf with a fork clear through to the bottom of the pan several times to prevent air bubbles.

Bake for 20-30 minutes or until golden brown. While hot, rub the top of each loaf with butter.