Butter Top White Bread

A family favorite, definitely.  This one is a little more time consuming but definitely worth it.  I adapted this recipe from one I found on Pinterest.  I also cut it in half to make only one loaf instead of two so this recipe can easily be doubled if you want. My poor little mixer can't handle kneading all that dough for 10 minutes so I only make one at a time.  If you're making it for a large dinner party definitely double it because it will be gone in no time.  It's also great bread for making garlic bread with.

Ingredients:

2 1/4 tsp yeast
1/3 cup warm water (run your tap to hot)
2 Tbsp sugar
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 Tbsp unsalted butter at room temperature
1 1/3 cup additional warm water (run your tap to hot)
5 cups all purpose flour (I tried to make this with wheat and it was just not the same)
2 Tbsp unsalted butter, melted, for brushing the top when completed

Instructions:

In the bowl of your mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, dissolve the yeast in 1/3 cup warm water for about 5 minutes until it becomes frothy.

Add the sugar, salt, butter, additional 1 1/3 cup warm water, and gently mix to combine.

Slowly add 2.5 cups of the flour mixing on low speed until it's combined.  Continue adding the flour until you get to 5 cups.  It might become kind of dry at this point so if you need to add warm water to get a consistency that sticks together then do it 1 Tbsp at a time.  Switch to your hook attachment and let your mixer knead the dough for 10 minutes.  The consistency at this point should be firm but not sticky.  It should not stick to the bowl of your mixer.

After kneading place your dough in a greased bowl, cover it, and place it in a warm place to rise for one hour.  Below are pictures of before and after rising for the first hour.

Now punch that dough down.  Roll it onto a floured surface into a 12" x 12" square, roughly.  Make sure the dough thickness is uniform throughout so there are no lumps in it once you roll it into your bread pan.  Roll the dough tightly from one edge, seal the edges by giving them a few pinches.  Tuck the ends under the roll and put it in a greased bread pan.  Try to manipulate the dough so it's really in the pan because it's going to rise a lot and if it's not even, it will lean to one side big time.  So don't be shy, push that dough into the bread pan until it lies evenly.

Next, cover it and place it in a warm place to rise for another hour.

Preheat your oven to 425 and put the rack at the very bottom of the oven.  Bake for 15 minutes and then cover with aluminum foil to prevent burning and bake for 15 more minutes.  Remove the loaf and turn it onto a wire rack to cool.  I like to put paper towels under the rack so the butter won't drip all over my counter top.  Brush the top of the warm loaf with the melted 2 Tbsp of butter.