Golden Cake Bread

This is the second bread I've baked in my quest to replicate a bread my grandfather fondly recalls. I'm still waiting the results of his side-by-side comparison of the two, and I'm hoping I found the right recipe. (Note: This wasn't the right bread according to Gramps, but it's still tasty.)

My only issue with this bread was that mine fell slightly flat after the third rising as I put it into the oven. I'm not positive because of how the recipe is written whether it's supposed to rise twice or thrice. I'm thinking perhaps the third rising was an error in the recipe.

Golden Cake Bread
1 cup milk
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup butter
1 Tbsp. dry yeast
1/4 cup warm water
2 eggs
2 tsp. vanilla
1 tsp. salt
4 to 4 1/2 cups flour

Scald milk, and add sugar and butter. Cool to lukewarm. When milk is nearly lukewarm, add yeast to warm water to dissolve the yeast. Combine yeast mixture with milk mixture. Beat eggs, reserve 1 Tbsp. and add remaining eggs to the mixture. Add vanilla and salt. Stir until combined. Gradually add flour, mixing as you go. Knead until a smooth slightly sticky dough forms. Place dough in a greased container, cover and let rise until doubled, about 1 hour.

Punch down dough, and place back in greased bowl to rise again until doubled, about 45 minutes. Punch down dough, and place into greased 9 x 5 pans. Cover, and let rise until doubled, about 45 minutes. While dough is rising, preheat oven to 350ºF. Brush loaves with reserved egg. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes until loaves are golden. Remove loaves from pans, and cool completely on wire racks. Makes 2 loaves.