Dan's Old Fashioned White Bread

Ingredients

• 2 cups milk
• 0.33 cups white sugar
• 0.33 cups honey
• 2 teaspoons active dry yeast
• 6 cups bread flour , or as needed, divided
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 0.25 cups butter , softened

Instructions

1. 1

   Place milk in a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave on low until gently warmed to about 100 degrees F (38 degrees C), about 15 seconds. Stir in sugar and honey until dissolved. Stir in yeast; let stand until yeast softens and begins to form a creamy foam, about 15 minutes.

2. 2

   Combine 4 cups bread flour and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment; pour in yeast mixture. Mix on slow speed until thoroughly combined, about 1 minute; dough will be very wet. Add butter; mix in remaining 2 cups bread flour, or as needed, until dough begins to form a ball. Change to dough hook; knead dough until smooth and springy, about 4 minutes.

3. 3

   Transfer dough to a well-floured surface; knead until surface of dough begins to break during folding and kneading. Roll dough into a ball; place into a large lightly floured bowl. Cover bowl with a towel and let rise in a warm place until doubled in volume, about 1 hour.

4. 4

   Coat two 9x5-inch loaf pans with cooking spray.

5. 5

   Punch down dough; transfer to a floured surface. Knead for 2 minutes; cut dough in half with a sharp knife. Form dough into logs, adding more flour if necessary, and place into the prepared pans. Cover loaves with a towel and let rise in a warm place until doubled in volume, about 1 hour.

6. 6

   Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).

7. 7

   Place loaves in the preheated oven; reduce the oven temperature to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Bake until tops are golden brown and loaves make a hollow sound when thumped, about 25 minutes. Cool bread in pans on wire racks for about 5 minutes before turning out to finish cooling on wire racks, about 40 minutes more. Cover loaves with a towel as they cool.