In a small bowl, dissolve your yeast into ⅓ cup of water and a pinch of sugar. Do not stir, let it activate for 5 minutes. You should see it bubbling and double in quantity. 

Prepare the dough: Combine your bread flour and sugar together in the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with a dough hook or paddle attachment. 

Add in the warm milk. Mix and then add stir your yeast mixture until everything is combined and add it into the dough mixture. Beat on low speed for about 2-3 minutes or until well combined. Add in the melted butter and beat on medium-low speed until everything is well incorporated.  

Next, add in your salt and knead the dough for another 3-4 minutes until everything is well combined. If the dough seems too wet you can sprinkle in a little bit of flour (1-2 tsp. at a time). Your dough should be smooth and the sides of your bowl should be clean. 

Transfer your dough onto a clean, well floured surface and knead by hand for an additional 5-10 minutes. This helps to form the gluten. Shape into a round ball. Spray your bowl with non stick spray or 1 tablespoon of oil and coat all sides of your dough in the bowl. Cling Wrap the bowl and set it aside in a warm area. 

Let the dough rise for 90 minutes. After your 90 minutes the dough should have doubled size. 

Divide the dough into two even loaves and shape them. Pinch the excess dough on the bottom side of your loaf to form a smooth uniform bottom. 

Grease a 9x5 inch loaf pan. Transfer one of the loaves onto the loaf pan and shape it in the loaf pan. You can also bake the loaves on a large baking sheet instead of a loaf pan. In addition, you can bake one loaf today and freeze the second loaf to bake another time. (If you are freezing the dough, place the shaped dough in a greased loaf pan or disposable loaf pan, cover tightly and freeze for up to 3 months. On the day you bake it, let the dough thaw and rise for about 5-6 hours at room temperature.) 

Wrap the loaf pan with a cling wrap and let the dough rise again for the second time for 30 minutes. The dough should almost double in size again. 

Preheat the oven to 375°F. Make ¼ -inch deep indents on the top of your loaf and prepare an egg wash to lightly coat your loaf for a nicer finish. (1 egg + 1 ½ tbsp. water) You can add any toppings to your loaf, I sprinkled some sesame seeds on top after doing the egg wash. 

Bake your loaf for 25-30 minutes, until you get a nice golden brown color. You’ll know it's baked when you tap on the top of your bread and it sounds hollow. 

Let your bread cool completely (1-2 hours) before you start slicing and digging in. To make sure your loaf stays fresh for days, store the loaf in an airtight plastic bag. After 2 days you can store it in the refrigerator to preserve it longer.