Step 1

Cut the butter into 1/2-inch (1-cm) chunks and let it come to room temperature.

Step 2

Measure the yeast into a small bowl. Pour the warm water into another small bowl. The water should feel hot to the touch and register between 105°F (41°C) and 115°F (46°C) on an instant-read thermometer. Sprinkle the yeast on top of the water and stir to dissolve it. Set the yeast aside until it bubbles a little on top.

Step 3

Dump the flour in a large bowl, sprinkle with the salt and sugar, and stir to incorporate. Make a well in the center.

Step 4

Pour the milk into a small bowl. Add the yeast mixture and then add the milk mixture to the flour and mix to incorporate. The dough will be very sticky but that’s okay. Then add the butter and continue to mix for 2 to 3 minutes.

Step 5

Cover the bowl with a kitchen towel or plastic wrap and let the dough stand still for about 30 minutes. The dough may appear puffy and it may not. Don’t worry if the dough doesn’t change in appearance.

Step 6

Sprinkle your work surface with flour and then use a plastic bowl scraper to turn the dough out onto the surface. Tap your hands in a little flour to coat them and then gently flatten the dough into a rectangle with a short side facing you. Use your fingers or the plastic scraper, flip the top edge of the dough down to just below the center, then flip the bottom edge up to just above the center, as if you were folding a letter. Repeat this process with the right and left sides and then turn the dough over and dust off the flour.

Step 7

Oil a second large bowl, then place the dough in it, seam side up, to oil the top. Then turn it seam side down and cover the bowl with oiled plastic wrap. Mark the time with a felt-tipped pen on the plastic wrap and allow the dough to rest and rise in a moderately cool place until it has doubled in volume, 1 to 2 hours, depending on the temperature of your kitchen.

Step 8

Once the dough has doubled in volume, sprinkle a little more flour onto your work surface, then scrape the dough out onto it, letting the dough assume its natural shape. Shape the dough into a log, then cover with oiled plastic wrap and let rest for 5 to 10 minutes before you continue shaping. (To shape the dough into a log, flatten it into a rectangle, and position the rectangle so that the short end faces you. Using both hands, pick up the top edge and pull it past the center of the dough, press it so it adheres to itself, then do the same with the bottom edge. Repeat this action with the top piece only and press the dough together firmly to make a tight log. Don’t worry if the dough looks misshapen.)

Step 9

Now shape the dough by beginning with the pre-shaped log placed lengthwise in front of you with the seam side up. Fold the dough in half lengthwise and press down so that it adheres to itself. Close the interior gap by pulling dough from the top with your left hand and sealing at the bottom with the heel of your right hand, as you would for a baguette. Place the dough seam side down, then place your hands at the center, fingers together, and with gentle but consistent pressure move your hands away from each other, rolling back and forth toward the ends of the dough. Place the dough in an oiled 15 3/4-by-3 3/4-inch (40-by-9 1/2-cm) Pullman pan or 9-by-5-inch (22-by-13-cm) loaf pan, seam side down, and gently press it into the corners. (If you are using a 9-by-5-inch loaf pan, it will seem like there is too much dough for the pan but it’s okay.)

Step 10

Cover the pan with oiled plastic wrap and let it rest until just before the dough reaches the top of the pan, 30 to 60 minutes.

Step 11

While the dough is resting, preheat the oven to 400°F (204°C), with a rack in the middle.

Step 12

After the dough has finished resting, remove the plastic wrap. If you are using a Pullman pan, slide on the lid. If you are using a loaf pan, take a long piece of foil, oil the area that will come in contact with the dough, and wrap the foil tightly around the pan twice.

Step 13

Place the loaf pan on the middle rack of the oven and bake for about 30 minutes.

Step 14

Pull the bread out of the oven, remove the lid or foil, and then return the bread to the oven to continue baking until the top is a light brown color, 7 to 15 minutes. If you wish to measure the temperature, the center of the loaf should register 200°F (93°C) on an instant-read thermometer.

Step 15

Remove the pan from the oven and let the bread rest in the pan for about 10 minutes. Carefully turn the bread onto a wire rack and let it cool. Originally published May 14, 2016.