Perfect White Bread

This is not my usual white bread recipe (which is quite dense and heavy). While I would hardly call this "light", it does have a softer crumb than what I normally bake. Everyone loved it with jam. In fact, for a jam sandwich I don't think I could suggest a better bread. Mr. Eat The Blog has requested a fried egg sandwich for dinner to see if it is good toasted, and I might go ahead and try it. I didn't expect much (particularly when they declared it "Perfect" in the cookbook), and was really very surprised at just how good this bread is. Makes two loaves.

From The Better Homes And Gardens Homemade Bread Book:

2 1/4 teaspoons granulated dry yeast
1/4 cup warm water
2 cups whole milk
2 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoons solid shortening
2 teaspoons salt
5-6 cups all purpose flour (I substituted bread flour)

Soften yeast in warm water. In a smal;l pot, heat the milk, sugar, salt, and shortening just until sugar dissolves. Remove from heat and cool to lukewarm. Beat in 2 cups of the flour. Add the yeast. Add as much extra flour as needed to make a stiff, no longer sticky dough and knead until smooth. Place in a buttered bowl, turn to coat and cover with clingwrap until doubled.

Punch down, divide in two and let rest ten minutes.

Place in well-buttered pans and dust the tops with a bit of flour if you like. Cover lightly with a towel and let rise again-about 45 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

Bake about 40 minutes (but start checking at 35) or until it sounds hollow. I baked mine to internal temperatures of 205 degrees F. and they were, as the title suggest, perfect.