Bobi's White Bread

As you may have noticed I realized I haven't shared any of my basic, everyday recipes here.  And then I thought why?  I've been too busy seeking out and trying to provide novelty when that isn't really the stuff our homes are made of.  At least mine isn't.  And the smell of homemade bread is one of the joys in our household, so I'll get on with it!

1/2 C very warm water
2 T yeast

(combine in mixing bowl and let sit)

Combine 1 1/2 C milk
3 T real butter
3 T sugar
2 t salt

in a glass 2 C measuring cup and stick in the microwave for a minute or two on high.  The butter doesn't need to melt completely but the whole mixture needs to be quite warm.

Then pour about 4 C flour over the yeast and water puff in the mixing bowl.  Then pour the warm milk mixture over that flour.  Dig a big spoon in (my mixer died...this is where you'd start it if you had one) and stir together the sticky dough.  It's gonna now need a cup or two of flour kneaded in to get the dough less sticky.  Yep, just drop the spoon and get your hands in there and pull and turn and stretch that dough.  Punch it if you must!  It's kinda fun :).  Then grease the bowl and turn the dough over once to get the whole ball greased.  Cover the bowl with a cloth and let it sit and rise for an hour.

When the time is up, punch down the risen dough and divide it into two balls.  Grease your bread pans and shape your dough into a loaf and stick them in their pans.  Cover the pans to let rise another 45 minutes.  Towards the end of the rising time start your oven preheating to 350.  When it is hot, stick those loaves in and let them bake 30 minutes.