Recipe

Pour the water into a large mixing bowl. Add the yeast. Stir to dissolve. Let stand for 5 minutes.

Stir the milk, sugar, and oil into the yeast mixture. Beat with a mixer or sturdy spoon for about 30 seconds, or until smooth.

Gradually add some of the remaining flour, beating after each addition, until the dough starts to pull away from the side of the bowl. Add more flour if necessary to make the dough stiff enough to handle.

Lightly flour a flat surface. Turn out the dough. Knead for 6 to 8 minutes, gradually adding enough of the remaining flour to make the dough smooth and elastic. (The dough shouldn't be dry or stick to the surface. You may not need all the flour, or you may need up to 1/2 cup more if the dough is too sticky).

Lightly spray a large bowl with vegetable oil spray. Turn the dough to coat all the sides. Cover the bowl with a damp dish towel. Let the dough rise in a warm, draft-free place (about 85F) for about 1 hour, or until doubled in bulk.

Punch down the dough. Divide in half. Shape into loaves. Lightly spray two 9 x 5 x 3-inch loaf pans with vegetable oil spray. Put the dough into the loaf pans. Cover each with a damp dish towel. Let the dough rise in a warm, draft-free place (about 85F) for about 30 minutes, or until doubled in bulk.

Preheat the oven to 425F.

Bake the loaves for 15 minutes. Reduce the heat to 375F. Bake for 30 minutes, or until the bread registers 190F on an instant-read thermometer or sounds hollow when rapped with knuckles. Turn the bread onto cooling racks. Let cool for 15 to 20 minutes before cutting.

Herb Bread Just before kneading, add to the dough 2 teaspoons caraway seeds; 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg; 1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary, crushed; and 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme, crumbled. Proceed as directed.