1Get your active dry yeast and get it active by adding 1 heaping teaspoon of active dry yeast to 2 tablespoons of warm water and mixing it up. Set aside.
2In a large bowl, add 1 cup of warm whole milk, 1 tablespoon of sugar, 1 teaspoon of salt, and 1/2 a tablespoon of shortening.
3Mix until the shortening is melted into the milk.
4Sift in 1 cup of all-purpose flour and mix until it's all combined and has the consistency of a thick pancake batter.
5Add in your yeast mixture and mix it up again.
6Add in two more cups of all-purpose flour and mix until it becomes a moderately stiff dough and comes together like a dough ball.
7Lightly flour your work surface and turn out your dough.
8Knead the dough for about 8 to 10 minutes until it's smooth and satiny.
9Shape the dough into a big dough ball.
10Oil the sides of the bowl where you mixed the dough, place the dough ball in, and turn it over to coat all sides.
11Cover the bowl and let the dough rest to double in size for about an hour and a half.
12Punch down the dough to release the extra air.
13Cover it back up and let it rest for another 45 minutes until it has doubled in size again.
14Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and roll it out into a long rectangle.
15Roll it up like a jelly roll, pushing it down and pinching the seams with every roll.
16Seal off the edges by crimping and folding them in.
17Stick the dough in a lightly greased loaf pan.
18Cover it again and let it rise and double in size for another hour.
19Bake it at 400 degrees Fahrenheit for 35 minutes.
20Remove from oven and turn the bread out from the pan.
21Brush the top with some butter.
22Allow it to cool before slicing.
Ingredients
3 C all-purpose flour
1 tsp active dry yeast
2 TBS warm water
1 C warm whole milk
1 TBS sugar
1 tsp salt
0.5 TBS shortening
butter
Equipment
large bowlstand mixerloaf pan
Tips
Knead the dough until it's smooth and satiny.
Allow the bread to cool completely before slicing.
Brush the top of the bread with butter for better flavor.