Step 1

Put the warm milk in your mixer bowl and sprinkle the yeast and sugar over it.  Mix together and let sit for 5 minutes to make sure the yeast activates and gets foamy.

Step 2

Add 5-1/2 cups of the flour, the melted butter, honey, egg and salt.

Step 3

Use the dough hook attachment to mix the dough together on low speed.

Step 4

Add small amounts of bread flour, (up to another cup total but you do NOT have to use the whole cup), just until the dough is the right consistency, (you want a soft dough that is easy to work with, and you want it to feel tacky, but not stick to your fingers.)

Step 5

Let the mixer knead the bread on low speed (2 on my KitchenAid) for 5 minutes.

Step 6

Scrape the dough in to a ball, place in a large oiled bowl, cover the bowl with plastic wrap and a clean towel and set in a warm place to rise for 1 hour or until it has doubled in size.  (I turn the oven on at the lowest temperature for just 1 minute, then turn it off and put the mixing bowl in there.)

Step 7

Lightly grease two loaf pans with non-stick spray.  (I use 9x5.)

Step 8

Once the dough has risen, punch it down with your fist, then turn out on to a lightly floured pastry mat or counter.  Divide the dough in two equal portions - shape in to a ball.

Step 9

Press or roll the dough out in to a rectangle, fold down a third of the dough from the shorter end and press it down with the heel of your hand.  Continue to fold and press until you have a roll - tuck in the ends, and place the bread with seams down in the prepared bread pan.  Repeat with the other piece of dough.

Step 10

Cover the pans lightly with plastic wrap and let the loaves rise another 30 minutes in a warm place.

Step 11

When ready to bake, preheat oven to 350.

Step 12

Remove plastic wrap, brush the loaves gently with egg wash, then bake the loaves at 350 for about 30 minutes.  (Bread should register 190 degrees with an instant read thermometer to be fully baked, but not overbaked.

Step 13

Remove from the oven and let cool 5 minutes in the pans before popping the loaves out of the pans on to a cooling rack and brushing with melted butter.

Step 14

Cool the bread for at least 30 minutes before slicing!