This is a simple white bread, but it has butter and an egg in it for some extra flavor.

The recipe is from my Aunt Alice, who used to be a baker at an Italian restaurant in Chicago. I went out to her home one day and spent the day baking with her. She had a large commercial Hobart mixer that would hold something like 20 quarts, compared to regular KitchenAid mixers that can hold 6 quarts. We had a lot of fun, and I learned a lot about making bread by feel rather than by measure.

• 2 cups Warm Water
• 2 TBSP Yeast
• 1/2 cup Sugar
  • Let proof 10 minutes
• 1 stick Butter, melted & cooled
  • Stir in
• 1 Egg
• ~7 cups Flour
• 1 TBSP (Heaping) Salt (add last)
  • Knead
• 2 TBSP Olive Oil
  • Coat dough and bowl
• Let rise until doubled in bulk
• Cut in half,roll over until loaf shaped and smooth on top
• Put in greased loaf pan, let rise until doubled
• Slash top of dough 3 times
• 1 Egg, whipped
• 1/2 eggshell Water
  • Mix together
  • Wash top of loaf
• Bake 25-30 minutes

Smaller KitchenAid mixers suggest a limit of 6 cups flour, so you may need to finish the last of the flour by hand-kneading.