In the bowl of a stand mixer, whisk together the flour, sugar, yeast, and salt. Congratulations, you've done the hard part.

In a separate cup, stir the melted butter into the warm water. You’re making magic happen already.

Start mixing your dry ingredients on low, then slowly add the butter-water mixture. Keep mixing until a sticky dough ball forms. If it looks like a swamp, add a little extra flour (a tablespoon at a time) until it comes together.

Turn the mixer to medium-low and let it knead the dough for five minutes. It’ll look shaggy at first, but trust the process.

Now, dust your countertop with a little flour and turn the dough out. Knead by hand for a couple of minutes, just until it’s smooth and elastic. Think of it as giving the dough a quick workout before its nap.

Plop the dough into a greased bowl and cover it with plastic wrap (bonus points if you butter the plastic so it doesn’t stick). Set it in a warm spot and let it double in size—this takes about an hour. Maybe go watch an episode of your favorite show while you wait.

Once the dough has puffed up nicely, turn it back onto your floured surface and gently knead out the air. No need to go wild—just press it flat, fold it up like a burrito, and tuck it into a buttered glass loaf pan.

Cover it again with your buttered plastic wrap and let it rise until it’s peeking well above the pan—usually about 30-45 minutes.

Carefully peel off the plastic wrap (no yanking, be gentle), then slide the loaf into a 375°F oven. Bake for 30 minutes until golden brown and your kitchen smells like heaven.

Once out of the oven, let the bread sit in the pan for 10 minutes (resist the urge to poke it). Then, carefully transfer it to a cooling rack. Let it cool completely before slicing—unless you enjoy smushing your beautiful loaf into oblivion.