BREAD WITH EGG RECIPES

Steps:

• Dissolve yeast packages in 1 cup of warm water; set aside.
• Bring milk to a boil. Remove from heat; add remaining 1 cup water, butter, and 2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon of salt; stir until butter melts. Pour in sugar and stir until dissolved.
• When milk mixture has cooled to lukewarm, stir in dissolved yeast.
• In a separate bowl, beat eggs until combined. Whisk milk mixture into eggs. Gradually add 5 pounds of flour. Transfer dough to a floured work surface, and use a serrated knife to divide dough in half. Shape each half into a ball and place the dough in two large oiled bowls. Cover with greased plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place for about 1 1/2 hours.
• Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C).
• Once risen, turn dough out onto a well-floured surface and divide into 6 equal portions. Shape the dough into balls. (Dough will be very sticky and soft at this point.) Keep the dough covered with greased plastic wrap while you divide one dough ball into 3 pieces. Shape the dough into three ropes, braid together, and place on a lightly greased baking sheet or parchment-lined baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining loaves. You should be able to fit two loaves per baking sheet.
• Bake loaves in the preheated oven for 35 to 40 minutes, or until hollow-sounding when tapped on top. Let cool, and enjoy!

Steps:

• 1. Stage 1: making a well Pile the flour on to a clean surface and make a large well in the centre. Pour half your water into the well, then add your yeast, sugar and salt and stir with a fork.
  2. Stage 2: getting it together Slowly, but confidently, bring in the flour from the inside of the well. (You don't want to break the walls of the well, or the water will go everywhere.) Continue to bring the flour in to the centre until you get a stodgy, porridgey consistency – then add the remaining water. Continue to mix until it's stodgy again, then you can be more aggressive, bringing in all the flour, making the mix less sticky. Flour your hands and pat and push the dough together with all the remaining flour. (Certain flours need a little more or less water, so feel free to adjust.)
  3. Stage 3: kneading! This is where you get stuck in. With a bit of elbow grease, simply push, fold, slap and roll the dough around, over and over, for 4 or 5 minutes until you have a silky and elastic dough.
  4. Stage 4: first prove Flour the top of your dough. Put it in a bowl, cover with cling film, and allow it to prove for about half an hour until doubled in size – ideally in a warm, moist, draught-free place. This will improve the flavour and texture of your dough and it's always exciting to know that the old yeast has kicked into action.
  5. Stage 5: second prove, flavouring and shaping Once the dough has doubled in size, knock the air out for 30 seconds by bashing it and squashing it. You can now shape it or flavour it as required – folded, filled, tray-baked, whatever – and leave it to prove for a second time for 30 minutes to an hour until it has doubled in size once more. This is the most important part, as the second prove will give it the air that finally ends up being cooked into your bread, giving you the really light, soft texture that we all love in fresh bread. So remember – don't fiddle with it, just let it do its thing.
  6. Stage 6: cooking your bread Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F/gas 4. Very gently place your bread dough on to a flour-dusted baking tray and into the preheated oven. Don't slam the door or you'll lose the air that you need. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until cooked and golden brown. You can tell if it's cooked by tapping its bottom – if it sounds hollow it's done, if it doesn't then pop it back in for a little longer. Once cooked, place on a rack and allow it to cool for at least 30 minutes – fandabidozi. Feel free to freeze any leftover bread.