Homemade white bread

I'd like to start by saying, "Thank you," to the King Arthur Flour Company for giving me the confidence to make my own bread. I haven't bought anything but one batch of Hawaiian Bread since I started making all the bread for my family. It's soooo much better! And the delicious smell in my house is awesome!

You're going to need:
1 cup + 2 tablespoons, to 1 1/4 cups lukewarm water(depending on the amount of humidity in the air)
1 heaping tablespoon honey
2 1/4 teaspoons instant yeast
1 3/4 teaspoons salt
2 tablespoons soft butter
4 cups King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
1/3 cup Baker's Special Dry Milk or 1/2 cup nonfat dry milk granules

Bust out your kitchen aid stand mixer. I have never kneaded anything by hand because I'm lazy so this is the only way I know how to make bread.

Mix all of the ingredients in the order listed, and mix and knead to make a smooth dough. It won't be particularly soft nor stiff; it should be smooth and feel bouncy and elastic under your hands.

Place the dough in a lightly greased bowl(I butter a glass bowl). Cover it with a tea towel and let it rise for 60 to 90 minutes, till it's become quite puffy, though not necessarily doubled in size. I put the covered bowl under the lights over my stove top. They put off enough heat to help the dough rise.

Gently deflate the dough, and shape it into a fat 9" log. Place it in a lightly greased 9" x 5" loaf pan.


Cover the pan, and let the dough rise for 60 to 90 minutes, till it's crowned 1" to 1 1/2" over the rim of the pan. Towards the end of the rising time, preheat the oven to 350°F.

Bake the bread for 20 minutes. Tent it lightly with aluminum foil, and bake for an additional 15 to 20 minutes, till it's golden brown. An instant-read thermometer inserted into the center will read 195°F to 200°F. I do the 20 minutes just in case!

Remove the bread from the oven, and turn it out onto a rack to cool. I like to take a stick of butter and rub it over the top of the bread as soon as it's out of the oven. Why now? When completely cool, wrap in plastic, and store at room temperature.

This bread is great for sandwiches, toast, or just as an afternoon snack. Delicious!