Dissolve the sugar in the warm water and milk in a large bowl.

Whisk in the yeast (and ginger if using).

Set aside for 5 to 10 minutes, or until the yeast mixture gets foamy.

Stir in 1 cup of the flour.

Whisk in the salt and oil.

With the mixer running add the remaining flour, one cup at a time, until the dough pulls away from the bowl.

Knead by machine about 5 minutes.

If hand kneading, mix in the flour until you have a sticky dough, turn out onto a floured surface and knead for 10 minutes.

Oil a large bowl and place the ball of dough in it.

Oil the top of the dough and cover with a damp cloth.

Allow it to rise until it has doubled in bulk, about an hour.

Punch the dough down, knead for three minutes, and divide in half.

Let rest for five minutes, shape into loaves, and place in greased pans.

Brush the tops with melted butter and let rise for 30 minutes.

Bake at 350°F for 30 minutes or until loaves sound hollow when tapped.

For a soft crust, butter the tops and cover with a towel after baking.

Add ingredients to your bread machine in the order the manufacturer recommends.

Select white bread cycle and press 'start'.

When the dough has risen once, turn the machine off, then reset it.

The dough will rise a second time before baking.