Ingredients
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1/4 cup warm water
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2 cups warm milk (recipe calls for whole milk but I use 1%)
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4 teaspoons active dry yeast
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2 tablespoons sugar (I always use the sugar, never tried honey) or 2 tablespoons honey (I always use the sugar, never tried honey)
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1 pinch sugar
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2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted (margarine works well, too)
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1 tablespoon salt
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6 -6 1/4 cups bread flour, plus extra
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canola oil, for greasing (I use regular vegetable oil)
Instructions
- In a small bowl combine water and 1/4 cup of the warm milk. Sprinkle yeast and pinch of sugar over liquid and stir. Let sit until foamy, about 10 minute.
- Combine remaining milk, butter and 2 tbs sugar, salt and 2 cups flour in large bowl and mix until creamy. I mix everything by hand but you can use a mixer on med-low for about 1 minute.
- Add yeast mixture and one cup of flour and mix by hand or beat with mixer.
- Mix or beat in remaining flour 1/2 cup at a time until the dough pulls away then switch to kneading until all the flour is mixed in, until smooth and elastic.
- Transfer the dough to an oiled deep bowl and turn the dough once to coat it.
- Cover loosely with plastic wrap and let rise until doubled in bulk, about 1 1/2 hours depending on the temperature of your kitchen.
- Lightly grease two 9X5 loaf pans.
- Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured board and divide in half.
- Pat each half into a long rectangle.
- Fold one rectangle like a letter, overlapping the short sides into the middle. Press to flatten.
- Beginning at the narrow end, roll the dough into a log and roll the log until it is the same length as the loaf pan.
- Pinch the ends and along the seam to seal and place in loaf pan seam side down.
- Repeat folding with other half of dough.
- Cover loosely with plastic and let rise until dough is about 1 inch above pan about 1 hour.
- Bake in oven preheated to 375 degrees F until loaves are golden brown and pull away from the edge of the pans, about 40 minutes.
- Turn onto racks and let cool completely.