County Fair Bread

This comes from the well known chef James Beard.

• Ready In: 4 hrs
• Yields: 2 loaves

Ingredients

• 5  cups all-purpose flour or 5  cups  unbleached hard-wheat flour
• 1⁄4 cup granulated sugar
• 2  teaspoons salt
• 1  package active dry yeast
• 1 1⁄2 cups milk
• 1⁄4 cup butter
• 2  eggs
• 1  egg white, lightly beaten with
• 1  tablespoon water
•  sesame seeds

Directions

1. In a large mixing bowl combine 1 cup of the flour, sugar, salt, and dry yeast.
2. Heat the milk and butter in a pan just until the milk is warm.
3. The butter does not need to melt.
4. Add the eggs and the warm milk mixture to the flour mixture.
5. Mix very well until thoroughly moistened, and beat with a wooden spoon for about 5 minutes.
6. Stir in the remaining flour to form a stiff dough.
7. Turn out on a floured board, and knead the dough until it is quite smooth and elastic, about 5 minutes.
8. Work into a ball, place in a buttered bowl, and turn to coat with butter on all sides.
9. Cover and let rise in a warm, draft-free place until light and doubled in bulk, 1 to 1 1/2 hrs.
10. Punch the dough down and divide into six equal portions.
11. Roll each of these portions into a thin cylinder about 8 to 10 inches long.
12. Take three strips and braid them together.
13. Place the braid on a baking sheet, which should be buttered or sprinkled with cornmeal.
14. Braid the remaining three strips and place about six inches away from the other loaf.
15. For a more spectacular loaf, make a braid of three large strips and then a braid of three smaller strips, and put one on top of the other.
16. Cover the loaves and let rise in a warm, draft-free space until doubled in bulk, which will take another 1 1/2 hrs.
17. Brush with the egg white and water, sprinkle lavishly with sesame seeds.
18. If you've made two smaller loaves, bake in a preheated 375 F oven for 35-40 minutes or until golden brown.
19. The single, larger loaf will need a good hour in the oven.