Add warm water to a large mixing bowl. Whisk in the yeast and let the mixture sit for 5 minutes, or until the yeast looks creamy and a bit frothy.

Whisk in the sugar, salt, and melted butter.

Add 5 cups of the flour. Mix with a wooden spoon until the dough comes together.

Gradually add the remaining 4-5 cups of flour, ½ cup-fulls at a time, until the dough is slightly tacky and smooth.

Flour a clean work surface and knead the bread by hand for 10 minutes. At the end of 10 minutes, you should have a smooth ball of dough.

Continue with the “FIRST RISE” instructions below.

Add warm water to the bowl of a stand mixer. Whisk in the yeast and let the mixture sit for 5 minutes, or until the yeast looks creamy and a bit frothy.

Whisk in the sugar, salt, and melted butter.

Attach the dough hook and add 5 cups of the flour. Mix on low speed until the dough comes together.

Gradually add the remaining 4-5 cups of flour, ½ cup-fulls at a time, until the dough is slightly tacky and smooth.

Knead the bread on medium speed for 6-7 minutes, or until you have a smooth ball of dough.

Lightly grease a large bowl and place the smooth dough ball in the bowl. Turn the dough once to coat it in the oil. Cover the bowl with a clean kitchen towel. Let the dough rise in a warm place until it has doubled in size, about 60-90 minutes.

Lightly spray 2 9x5-inch loaf pans with nonstick cooking spray and set aside.

Flour a clean work surface and turn the dough out onto it. Punch the dough down and divide it into 2 equal pieces. Return one piece to the bowl and cover with the kitchen towel.

Use your fingers and hands to gently press and stretch the dough into a 9x15-inch rectangle.

Roll the dough into a tight log by starting on one of the short ends and roll tightly (this will ensure that your loaves don’t have any air bubbles). Pinch the seam shut.

Transfer the dough to one of the prepared pans. Gently stretch and press the dough into the pan so it reaches all of the sides.

Repeat with the remaining dough.

Cover the pan with a clean kitchen towel and let the dough rise until it’s almost doubled in size, about 30-45 minutes.

While the dough rises, move the oven rack to the middle position and preheat to 400 degrees F.

Bake the bread for 15 minutes on the middle rack. Then, rotate the bread and bake for an additional 15-20 minutes, or until the internal temperature of the bread reaches 190 degrees F with an instant-read thermometer.

Move the pans to a wite rack to cool for 10 minutes. Then, remove the bread from the pans and return them to the wire racks to cool completely for about 2 hours.

Brush each of the tops of bread with 1 Tablespoon of melted butter (optional). Slice and serve.