Simple homemade bread

Simple Homemade Bread - makes two loaves.
(not as healthy as the multigrain but everyone's favorite once in awhile) 

Ingredients: 

1 stick of butter
6 C flour (including up to 2 C whole wheat flour*)
4 1/2 tsp yeast**
4T sugar
2 T wheat gluten (optional)
2 T wheat germ (optional)
2 1/2 tsp salt
1 C milk, warmed
1 C water (+ up to 1/3 C more) 

Directions: 

Melt the butter and set aside.  Warm the milk and set aside. 

In mixer, stir together flour, yeast, salt, sugar, wheat gluten, wheat germ. 

Add the melted butter, warm milk, 1 C water, and stir for a minute or two.  Switch to the kneading hook and knead, adding a bit more water if necessary, until a soft smooth dough forms. 

Turn out onto counter and knead a few times by hand. 

Spray bowl with cooking spray; return dough to bowl; cover and let rise about 60 min. 

Punch down dough and form into two loaves.  Put into greased small bread pans, cover with greased plastic wrap and let rise about 45 minutes. 

Bake at 350F, 35 minutes.  You can tell the bread is done when you tip it out of the bread pan, tap on the bottom of the loaf and it sounds hollow.  

Enjoy!  

*  King Arthur White Whole Wheat Flour is good. 

** SAF instant yeast - you can order this from King Arthur Flour - it lasts a long time in the fridge or freezer, and you can mix it right in with the dry ingredients like in this recipe.  

I also keep the wheat gluten and the wheat germ in the fridge - all of this in a little basket for when I'm going to make bread.