Hello Bread

finally broke out the kitchen aide to make some bread.
simple really.

1) lay out ingredients
2) combine
3) rise
4) roll
5) second rise
6) bake
7) enjoy

always check your ingredients before starting.
measuring them out at once makes the process very easy.
this is a good habit to get into for almost everything.
Clockwise

6 cups flour
milk - 3/4 cup
warm water - 1/3 cups (in mixing bowl, off camera)
sugar - 1/2 cup
yeast - 2 packets
salt - 1+1/4 tsp
eggs - three large eggs (I used jumbo)
stick of butter - 8 tbsp (1/2cup)

warm the mixing bowl with hot water from tap or kettle.
pour off the water saving 1/3 cup to which you will add the yeast.

set aside 1 or two teaspoons of the butter for greasing the pan and the bowl later.

put remaining butter, sugar, salt and milk into microwave safe open container
- i use the glass measuring cup from measuring the milk.

heat, about one minute at a time, just until butter completely melts and sugar dissolves.

set aside to cool.

always crack eggs seperately before combining.
this way, if one egg is bad you can dispose of it before contaminating the rest of them.
here i have three eggs ready to mix in.

yeast should be well dissolved and starting to foam.
pour your milk mixture into the yeast.
add the eggs and add 5 cups of flour.
attach bread hook lower into mixing bowl.

start the mixer on its slowest speed to incorporate the wet and dry
bring it up a bit more but not much more.
mix for about 2 minutes.
add 1/2 cup flour
mix another two minutes
add the last 1/2 cup flour
keep mixing about two more minutes till the dough sticks to the hook and pulls free from the sides.
another minute then lift out the hook.

the dough needs to be set in a warm place to rise till doubled in size.
I use the oven with the rack at the lowest position.
set the heat to its lowest setting.
at this point I turn dough out onto plate or some other clean surface
I then clean out the mixing bowl, grease it with a teaspoon of butter.
shape the dough into a large ball and put in the bowl roll it around until it is fully greased.
i dampen a clean dish cloth with hot water, fully wring it out, and drape it over the top
turn OFF the oven
open the door wide
put the dough in the oven.
close the oven and wait an hour - or so.

flour your work surface
punch down the dough to get the larger bubbles out of it.
cut in half.
turn each half out onto your floured work surface.
roll it out to the width of your pan and about 1/2 inch thick
this will remove more bubbles.

roll the dough up and put it into a greased baking pan.
set this pan back in the still warm oven for another hour or so until it doubles once more.

once doubled in size remove from oven - carefully so to not disturb bubbles
bring temperature up to 350F
put loaf pan into hot oven.

bake until brown :) about 30-45 minutes

turn out onto cooling rack.
let cool as much as you can stand it then slice, butter, and devour!