Turn the dough onto a floured board; knead about 10 turns. To knead dough: fold it in half, gently press the dough away from you with the heel of your hand and then turn the dough. Repeat. When you are finished kneading, your dough should be smooth and elastic.
05Shape dough into a smooth ball so it will rise properly: fold the sides of the dough over into the middle of the dough. Flip the dough over. Cup your hands along the right and left sides of the dough and pull it toward you. Rotate the dough a quarter turn and repeat. After about 10 times you will have a nice smooth dough.
06Place 1 tablespoon of butter in a large microwave-safe bowl. Heat butter in the microwave until butter is melted. Place the dough into the bowl with the butter, flipping once to grease the top. Make sure the smooth side of the ball is on top for the rise. Loosely cover with plastic wrap and a towel over the top and let rise in a warm place until doubled in size, about 1 hour.
07Punch dough down and divide into two loaves.
08Shape the bread for the bread pans: Place dough on a lightly floured countertop. Pat one of the divided doughs into an oval. Fold the top third of the dough and fold it into the middle of the dough. Use the heel of your hand to press the top layer into the bottom layer. Repeat with the bottom third of the dough. Like you are folding a letter. Fold the dough in half. Pull the ends of the dough down and tuck under like a package to make a smooth dough.
09Place each dough in a greased 9-in. x 5-in loaf pan. Press the dough down flat in the bread pan, using your flat hand to help it rise evenly.
10Preheat oven to 350°F.
11Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 30-45 minutes.
12Place bread on the center rack. Bake for 30-35 minutes or until golden brown. You can turn in out onto a plate and thump the bottom of the bread. If it sounds hollow, it is done.
13Allow the bread to cool in the bread pan on a wire rack for 5 minutes. Remove the bread from the pans and brush the tops with the remaining butter.
14Let the bread continue to cool for at least 30 minutes before cutting or you risk smooshing the bread as you slice it. I can never wait, but it is best if you can.