- 1/2 cup milk
- 3 Tbsp butter
- 2 tsp salt
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 1 1/2 cups very warm water
- 1 package yeast
- 3 1/2 cups bread flour
- cooking spray
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- Heat the milk until it forms a skim on the surface (it should not boil).
- Add the butter, salt, and sugar to the milk and mix with a whisk until the butter melts.
- In a mixing bowl, dissolve the yeast in the water (the water must be very warm). The whisk helps here too.
- Combine the milk mixture with the water, mix with the whisk.
- Put the whisk aside.
- Add the flour to the liquid. Powder your hands with flour and mix the dough with your hands, or use a dough hook at low speed for one minute. As you mix the flour, it should just clean off the sides of the mixing bowl. Add more water or more flour to get the dough to the right consistency. It works best if the dough is just dry enough to handle with floured hands.
- If using a dough hook, knead for two more minutes at the next speed level. Otherwise, sprinkle flour the the work surface, dump the dough ball onto it and knead vigorously for five minutes. Kneading is done by folding the dough in half, flattening, rotating 90°, and repeating over and over again.
- Grease the mixing bowl with cooking spray.
- Form the dough into a large ball and return it to the mixing bowl, smooth side down. Turn the dough ball over until all sides are coated with the cooking spray. Leave the smooth side up.
- Cover the dough in the mixing bowl with cellophane.
- Allow dough to rise for about an hour. It should double in size.
- Dump the dough ball onto a clean work surface, flatten, and cut in half.
- Refrigerate one half, or bake both halves in two Dutch ovens.
- Spray the inside of the Dutch Oven and the underside of the lid with Cooking Spray.
- Place the dough ball in the Dutch Oven, smooth side up and centered. The sides of the dough ball should not touch the sides of the oven.
- Bake at 375°F for 25 to 30 minutes.
- Spread butter on the top surface of the loaf and allow it to cool five minutes before cutting.
Serves 8-10.
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