In the bowl of an electric stand mixer* whisk together warm water, yeast and 2 teaspoons of sugar. Let rest 10 minute, if you are using dry active yeast.** If using instant yeast, there is no need to wait. Also, you can add all of the sugar in at once.
To the yeast mixture add the remaining sugar, salt, oil (or butter) and about 2/3 of the flour. Fit the mixer with the paddle attachment or use a rubber spatula and mix well until combined. Switch to the hook attachment. Add remaining flour and knead on low speed until it comes together uniformly. Continue to knead on low speed, while adding a little more flour as needed. The dough is ready when it is still soft and supple but not sticky. Knead until the mixture no longer sticks to the sides of the bowl and it becomes smooth - for about 7 - 8 minutes.***
First Rise
Transfer the dough to a large bowl that's been sprayed with non-stick cooking spray or coated with a thin layer of oil. Also, coat the center of a piece of plastic wrap with non-stick cooking spray or oil and use this to cover the bread dough. Place the sprayed side down so the dough doesn't stick to it once the dough rises. Don't wrap too tightly so the dough has space to expand. Let the dough rest on the counter until doubled in size, about 1.5 - 2 hours.
Second Rise
Remove the plastic wrap and punch down on the dough before transferring it to a clean, floured surface. Pat and stretch dough to a rectangle about 14 by 8-inches. Separate the dough into halves and repeat the following steps for each half:
Pat and stretch*** dough into a rectangle about 14 by 8-inches. Then roll up the dough, starting on one of the 8-inch sides and rolling into a tight log toward the opposite 8-inch side.
Transfer each rolled log of dough to a greased 9 by 5-inch loaf pan. Spray a sheet of plastic wrap with non-stick cooking spray (or re-use the plastic wrap used to cover the bowl) and drape greased side down over bread pan leaving room for the bread to expand. Let this rest until loaf is about 1.5 - 2 inches above the height of the loaf pan, about 1 hour. Around 45 minutes into that hour, preheat the oven to 350º F.
Baking
Bake loaves in the center of the oven, rotating once halfway through baking, until golden brown on top and it sounds hollow when tapped, about 35 - 40 minutes.∞ The loaf should register between 195 - 200º F in the center using an instant-read thermometer. Remove from the oven and run a stick of butter over top (using about 1/2 Tablespoon per loaf). After 7 - 10 minutes in the pan, transfer to a wire rack to cool for at least 20 minutes before attempting to slice. Keep in mind, bread slices much more cleanly when it's cooled all the way through. Store bread in an airtight container at room temperature for a few days or for longer shelf life store in the refrigerator.∞∞
Notes
* You can use a hand mixer or a whisk to manually bring the dough together. You will need to add 2-3 minutes to the kneading time if you are doing that by hand though.
** If you are using dry active yeast and there are no bubbles formed after the 10-minute rest, either the yeast was expired or the water was too warm.
*** Pat and stretch by hand instead of using a rolling pin to flatten the dough. You don't want to get rid of all the air pockets that will make your bread light and tender inside.
∞ If you find the top of your bread is browning too quickly before the inside is finished, use a piece of aluminum foil to form a tent over the top of the loaves.
∞∞ If you put a warm loaf into an airtight container, the moisture will create steam and that will trap moisture inside the loaf. If you store bread in the refrigerator, be sure to wrap tightly and store in an airtight container or it will dry out quickly.