"White bread" isn't boring at all when it comes fresh out of your oven; you'll be surprised at how good it can be. Although baking bread is a long process, the yeast does the work all by itself most of the time. Makes two loaves.
Instructions
Preparing and Baking
1. Put the smooth ball of dough into a clean bowl coated lightly with vegetable oil. Turn the dough once so that the top is oiled.
2. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and put it in a warm place until the dough rises to roughly double its original size. Check after 45 minutes.
3. Dump the dough back onto the floured surface and punch it down.
4. Divide the dough into two equal pieces and let rest for five minutes.
5. To make a pan loaf, use your hands to roll each piece into a thick cylinder a little longer than your bread pan. Using the heels of your hands, press the cylinder in to compress it to the length of the pan.
6. Put the loaves into oiled bread pans. The sides of the loaves, especially the short ends, should touch the sides of the pan.
7. Put a kitchen towel over the bread pans and let the dough rise in a warm place until it is roughly twice its original size, about 35 to 40 minutes.
8. Put the loaves in the oven at 400 degrees F and bake for approximately 30 minutes, or until golden brown and the bottoms have a hollow sound when thwacked with your hand.
9. Remove from pans and cool on racks.
Mixing the Dough
10. In a measuring cup, sprinkle the yeast over the warm water.
11. Mix together salt, sugar, and 5 cups flour in a large bowl.
12. Add milk, oil and yeast mixture to the dry ingredients and stir until the dough comes away from the sides of the bowl. Start by stirring with a wooden spoon, but you might graduate to your hands after a few minutes.
13. Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and knead it for 10 to 15 minutes, adding as much as flour as necessary if the dough feels sticky.
14. Form the dough into a ball.
Tags: dough into, your hands, after minutes, bread pans, floured surface, onto floured