Ingredients

The following ingredients have 4 Servings
  • 2 1/4 cups Bread Flour
  • 1/3 cup All-Purpose Flour
  • 1 1/2 teaspoon Salt
  • 2 1/4 teaspoon Active Dry Yeast
  • 3 Tablespoons Warm Water
  • 1 Tablespoon Sugar
  • 1 cup Whole Milk
  • 3 Tablespoons Butter ((plus more for the top))

Instruction

  • In a bowl of a stand mixer, fitted with a dough attachment, combine bread flour, all-purpose flour, and salt.
  • In a small saucepan, heat the milk until lukewarm (105-100 degrees). This can also be done in the microwave.
  • In a small bowl, add warm water (105-110 degrees), yeast and sprinkle in the sugar, and stir it together. Let it sit for 5-10 minutes, watching to see if the yeast mixture foams up and bubbles. If it is foamy, the yeast has activated. If not, start again with a new batch of yeast and lukewarm water.
  • Add the yeast mixture to the flour mixture. Mix on low speed. Add lukewarm milk. Scrape the sides of the bowl often to incorporate all of the ingredients.
  • Add the slightly softened butter, one small cube at a time. You don't want to add the butter all at once but only a small amount at a time. The dough should start pulling away from the sides of the bowl and look like a round ball.
  • Remove the dough from the mixing bowl and place in a greased glass bowl (I suggest spreading butter all over the bowl using a pasty brush or paper towel or spraying it with non-stick cooking spray.
  • Cover the bowl with a kitchen towel and let the dough rise until it doubles in size, about 2 hours, depending on the warmth of the kitchen.
  • While the dough is rising, prepare the 9 x 5 loaf pan. Lightly spray non-stick cooking spray or brush with oil or butter to prevent sticking.
  • Place the dough on a lightly oiled or floured workspace and shape into a 8 to 8 1/2 inch loaf. Place the log in a lightly greased 8 1/2" x 4 1/2" or 9" x 5" loaf pan, cover the pan loosely with lightly greased plastic wrap. Allow the bread to rise for about 30-60 minutes or until it's domed about 1" above the edge of the pan. Towards the end of the rise, preheat your oven to 350°F.
  • Bake the bread for 25 to 33 minutes, until it is a light golden brown color. Test it for doneness by measuring its interior temperature with a digital thermometer (it should register 190°F at the center of the loaf).
  • Remove the bread from the oven, and brush butter all over the warm loaf. Cool it on a rack before slicing. Store the bread in a plastic bag at room temperature for several days or freeze for longer storage. This bread freezes beautifully!