1 kg Strong white bread flour
1 tb Salt
150 g Butter
600 ml Milk
1 ts Caster sugar
25 g Fresh yeast; crumbled, or
-15g
; dried yeast
2 Eggs
1 Egg yolk; mixed with 1tbsp
; water, to glaze
Sift the flour with the salt. Put the butter into a pan with the milk and
sugar and warm over a gentle heat, stirring occasionally, until the butter
has melted, without allowing it to boil. If necessary, let the mixture cool
until it reaches blood temperature. To test roughly, try sticking your
finger into the liquid. If you can hold it there for a slow count to 10,
but no longer, the heat is about right. Stir in the yeast and leave for
5-10 minutes in a warm place, until foaming.
Gradually stir the eggs and the yeasted milk mixture into the flour to give
a soft but not sticky dough. You may not need quite all of the liquid.
Knead for 10 minutes, then return to the bowl, sprinkle the surface with a
little extra flour, cover with a cloth and leave in a warm place to rise
for about 1 1/2-2 hours until double its original bulk.
Punch the dough down and knead for 5 minutes. Divide into 2 pieces. Take
the first piece and divide in half. Roll each bit out to make a long
sausage, slightly thicker in the centre than at the ends.
Plait. Gather the ends together and tuck underneath then lay on a floured
baking tray. Repeat with the remaining dough. Leave the plaits to rise
again in a warm place, until almost doubled in bulk – about 1 hour. Now
chill in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 200c/400f/gas 6. Brush the plaits with the egg glaze,
then bake in the oven for 30 minutes. Tap them underneath – if they sound
hollow, they are done. Cool on a wire rack.
Yields
1 servings