Instructions: Makes 2 loaves.

Scald the milk in a saucepan by bringing it just to a boil and quickly removing it from the heat. Cool to "baby bottle" temperature (105 to 115 F), pour it into a large bowl, add the yeast and sugar, and let it "proof" (become foamy on top) for about 5 minutes. Then add 3 cups of the flour, the salt, and butter, and beat the dough until smooth. Add enough of the remaining flour to make a soft dough that pulls away from the sides of the bowl.

Turn the dough onto a lightly floured board and knead it until smooth and elastic, about 8 minutes, sprinkling with flour as needed. Then place the dough in a bowl lightly greased with butter, turning the dough so it is also lightly greased. Cover the bowl with a clean towel and allow the dough to rise for 45 minutes. Punch the dough down and shape into 2 loaves. Place these loaves in lightly greased 9-inch bread pans and allow them to rise 1/2 inch above the pans, about 45 minutes. Bake the loaves in a preheated 400F oven for about 45 minutes, or until the loaves sound hollow when tapped. Remove the bread from the oven, turn out of the pans, and cool on a wire rack.

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