Preparation:
- In a large bowl, dissolve the sugar by mixing it with warm water and milk.
- Stir in the yeast with a whisk.
- Let the yeast mixture sit undisturbed for five to ten minutes, or until it begins to froth.
- Mix in one cup of the flour while stirring.
- Mix in the salt and oil with a whisk. While the mixer is running, add the remaining flour one cup at a time.
- Continue doing this until the dough begins to pull away from the bowl.
- If you are going to be kneading the dough by hand, mix in the flour until you have a sticky dough, then turn the dough out onto a floured surface and knead for around 10 min until your dough is smooth and elastic; add more flour as necessary.
- After greasing a big basin, insert the dough ball inside the bowl. And then cover the dough with a moist towel once you have oiled the top of it.
- Let it rise until the volume has increased by a factor of two. This should take around an hour of your time.
- Press the dough down with your fists.
- Knead for about three minutes, then split the dough in half. Let rest for five minutes. Form into loaves, and then transfer to loaf pans measuring 9 by 5 inches that have been buttered.
- Spread some of the melted butter on top of each one.
- Let the dough rise for about half an hour, or until it is about an inch or two higher than the pans.
- Bake the loaves for about 30 minutes at 350 degrees Fahrenheit, or until they produce a hollow sound when tapped.
Recipe Note:
To get a tender crust; after you take the loaves out of the oven, butter the tops of them, and then immediately lay a clean tea towel on top of them. This will give the crust a softer texture. They should be allowed to cool for approximately 5 minutes, after which you should remove them from the pans so that they may completely chill, and then re-cover them with the tea towel.