coleslaw1017: Some Beautiful Bread

This Christmas my husband and I decided to skip the gifts for each other. However, soon after Christmas, we both looked into purchasing something for ourselves. Jonathan went for something fun. I went for something, well I would say fun, but most would say work. :) I ordered myself a stand mixer. I have been debating and researching about getting for quite awhile now. I knew how much I wanted to spend and what model I wanted... which didn't quite match up, at least not for a new model. So I searched the company's refurbished page, but they were all out of stock. So I resorted to my old friend, e.bay. I found a nice refurbished model within my price range. The seller had great reviews, and lots of sales, so I was pretty confident. The mixer came about a week later and it is perfect.

I haven't used it a whole ton yet, but I'm not doing a whole lot of baking right now either. Kind of in a post Christmas slump. I did, however, make a bread recipe that was included with the mixer, and it turned out wonderfully.

I don't usually make plain old white bread, but this bead turned out so wonderful I will probably make it again. They do have a wheat bread recipe that I will try, I just have to get a few ingredients that I don't usually keep in the house (powdered milk)

On to the recipe, from the Kitchenai.d instruction and recipe book:

Basic White Bread

1/2 c low-fat milk

3 Tbsp sugar
2 tsp salt
3 Tbsp butter or margarine
2 packages active dry yeast (4 1/2 tsp)
1 1/2 c warm water (105 - 115)
5 - 6 cups all-purpose flour

Place milk, sugar, salt, and butter in a small saucepan. Heat over low heat until butter is melted. Cool to lukewarm.
Dissolve yeast in warm water in warm mixer bowl. Add milk mixture and 4 1/2 c flour. Attach bowl and dough hook to mixer. Turn to speed 2 and mix about 1 minute.
Continue on Speed 2, add remaining flour, 1/2 c at a time, and mix until dough clings to hook and cleans sides of bowl, about 2 minutes. Knead on speed 2 about 2 minutes longer, or until dough is smooth and elastic. Dough will be slightly sticky to touch.

Place dough in greased bowl, turning to grease top. Cover, let rise in warm place, about 1 hour.

Punch dough down and divide in half. Shape each half into a loaf and place in greased loaf pans. Cover. Let rise in warm place, about 1 hour.