Prep the Liquid Base.
Place the whole milk, honey, salt, and butter in a small saucepan. Heat over low heat just until the butter melts and the honey dissolves. Remove from heat and let it cool until it is lukewarm (if it's too hot, it will kill the yeast in the next step).Dissolve the Yeast
Dissolve the yeast in the warm water directly inside your warmed mixer bowl. Add the lukewarm milk/honey mixture and 41⁄2 cups of the flour. Attach the bowl and the dough hook to your KitchenAid mixer.Initial Mix
Turn the mixer to Speed 2 and mix for about 1 minute until a shaggy dough starts to form.KitchenAid Safety Note: Always stick to Speed 2 when mixing and kneading yeast doughs. Using higher speeds can overstrain the mixer's motor and gears.Add Flour & Knead
Continuing on Speed 2, add the remaining flour 1⁄2 cup at a time. Watch the dough closely. Stop adding flour as soon as the dough clings to the hook and completely cleans the sides of the bowl.Once the dough clears the sides, continue kneading on Speed 2 for about 2 to 3 minutes longer. The dough is ready when it is smooth, elastic, and just slightly sticky to the touch.The First and Second Rise
Coat a large bowl with a thin layer of lard. Place the dough inside, turning it over once so the top is also greased. Cover the bowl with a damp cloth or plastic wrap. Let it rise in a warm, draft-free place for about 1 hour, or until it has doubled in size.Punch the dough down and divide it into two equal halves. Shape each half into a loaf. Place the loaves into two 8-1/2" x 4-1/2" x 2-1/2" baking pans greased with lard. Cover them lightly and let them rise again for about 1 hour until doubled in size.Bake
Bake at 400F (205C) for 30 minutes, or until the crust is a deep golden brown and the loaves sound hollow when tapped on the bottom. Remove them from the pans immediately and let them cool completely on wire racks before slicing.
