My mother always used lard in her bread. The ritual was to put the
flour in the pancheonm make a well in it and put the cut up pieces of
lard round the edge of the flour. She explained that it would become
incorporated in the dough as she kneaded - which she always did on
her knees with the pancheon on the floor.
That was my first experience of bread making, in the early forties,
and the bread was always excellent.
I've not followed her example because I like the crumb of a lean
bread and sourdough even more.
We buy a whle pig carcase at a time and butcher it, the fat is
rendered to lard and used for pastry - it makes the best pastry ever!
We don't have chips.
Mary