First, you may not be able to recreate the bread of your childhood, for the same reason we can't find tomatoes that have any flavor. The flour should at least have a few flour beetles in it, for that extra protein. Then you really should use cake yeast and not the dry packaged stuff.
1 cake yeast dissolved in 1/4 cup lukewarm water and 1 teaspoon sugar. Let stand for 5 minutes
To 2 cups scalded milk add 1 1/2 teaspoon salt, 2 tablespoons shortening, and 2 tablespoons of sugar and cool to lukewarm. Mix with yeast
To the softened yeast add 3 cups of white flour and I'd use unbleached Beat well Add enough more flour to make a soft dough (you will use about 6 cups) knead til smooth and .....