What is more home-y, more comforting, and more delicious than the smell of bread baking? Eating it, of course!
Ingredients:
1/2 cup warm water
1 tsp sugar
1 package of yeast or 2 1/4 tsp bread machine yeast
2 cups whole milk
2 tbsp butter
2 tbsp + 2 tsp sugar
1 tbsp salt
6-8 cups flour (I prefer to use bread flour for the fluffiness, but there's no harm in using all purpose)
Directions:
Dissolve the 1 tsp sugar and package of yeast in 1/2 cup of warm water in a 1 cup measuring cup. Let rest for 10 minutes or until the yeast has puffed up and doubled (thus explaining the need for a 1 cup measuring cup)
Meanwhile: in a microwavable bowl or 2 cup measuring cup, heat milk and butter on high for 3 minutes. WARNING it's going to come out HOT. Pour the milk mixture into a large mixing bowl with the rest of the sugar and the salt and stir until salt and sugar are dissolved. Now wait on your yeast if you still need to (the times usually mesh up about right for me)
Add yeast mix and 4 cups of flour to the bowl and stir vigorously. Add in more flour until you can't stir anymore, then push the dough stuck to whatever you're using to stir with off. Dump about 1 more cup of flour in the bowl, pat your hands in it, and knead the dough (adding more flour as necessary) until the dough is smooth and elastic (about 10 minutes or until your arms get tired)
Butter the outside of the dough thoroughly, set back in the bowl, and cover with a dish towel. Let rise 1 hour or until doubled.
Punch down, knead a few times, and cover with dish cloth again. Butter two bread pans very VERY well. (good luck getting your bread out if you don't.) Divide the dough in half, knead a few times again and shape into a tube. Set seam-side down in the pan. Repeat with second half. Cover both halves and let rise again for 1 hour until doubled.
Bake at 400 for 25 minutes. Tap the top of the loaf: you want to hear a hollow "pock pock" sound. When you take them out of the oven, brush the tops with butter for a soft crust.
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