Good White Bread
1/2 cup warm water
4 t. instant yeast
1 t. sugar
1 1/2 cup warm whole milk
6 T unsalted butter, melted and cooled
1 1/2 T. honey
3 large eggs
5-6 cups all purpose flour divided (maybe even more)
1 T kosher salt
1 egg white, lightly beaten

Place water yeast and sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with dough hook. Wait 5 minutes then add the milk, butter and honey. Mix until blended. Add eggs, 3 cups of flour and salt and mix on low for 5 minutes. Add 2 more cups flour hwile mixer continues on low. Raise speed to medium-low and add a bit more of the flour — until dough doesn’t stick to sides of bowl, sort of. Then, continue mixing for 8 minutes, adding flour as needed.

Dump dough on floured surface and knead briefly (until smooth and elastic). Put dough in buttered bow and then flip so that the top is lightly buttered. Cover and let rise — about 1 hour.

Grease 2 9X5 loaf pans. Divide dough in half and roll each piece into a loaf shape and place in prepared pan. Cover with damp towel and let rise another 1 hour (until double in bulk).

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Brish tops with egg white and bake 40-45 minutes. Cool completely on wire rack before slicing — if you can.

I got this recipe from one of the Barefoot Contessa recipe books. I can’t remember which one. I altered the recipe in several places and the bread that resulted was really great. The dough was so easy to work with and required almost no kneading. This makes great toast. I’ll definitely make it again….probably later this week.