Fast White Bread

From Joy of Cooking book.

Making bread is nothing to be afraid of! I'm sure mine would have turned out much better with a bowl mixer with a hook. It still was good. I'm going to make grilled cheese and tomato soup.

Stir together in a large bowl or the bowl of a heavy-duty mixer:

2 cups bread flour

1 tablespoon sugar

1 package (2 1/4 tsp) active dry or quick-rise yeast

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

Add:

1 cup very warm (115 to 125 F) water

2 tablespoons butter or margarine, melted or softened

Mix by hand or on low speed for 1 minute. Add 1/4 cup at a time until the dough is moist but not sticky:

1 to 1 1/4 cups bread flour

Knead for about 10 minutes by hand or with the dough hook on low to medium speed, until the dough is smooth and elastic.

Transfer the dough to an oiled bowl and turn it over to coat with oil.

Cover the bowl loosely with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place until doubled in bulk, 40 to 45 minutes.

Grease a 9x5 inch loaf pan. Punch down the dough, form it into a loaf, and place seam side down in the pan.

Oil the surface and cover loosely with a clean cloth.

Let rise in a warm place until doubled in bulk, 20 to 45 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 450F. Bake the loaf for 10 minutes. Reduce the heat to 350F and bake about 30 minutes more. Bake until the crust is golden brown and the bottom sounds hollow when tapped.

Remove the loaf from the pan to a rack and let cool completely.