Recipe: Homemade Milk Bread (Betty Crocker cookbook)

HOMEMADE MILK BREAD

4 cups bread flour or all-purpose flour, divided use
1 1/3 cups semolina flour
1 tablespoon salt
2 packages active dry yeast
1/2 cup firm butter
2 cups very warm milk (120 to 130 degrees F)
FOR TOPS:
1 egg, beaten
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon cumin seed

Mix flours together. Place 3 cups of the flour mixture in a large bowl; stir in the 1 tablespoon salt and yeast. Cut butter into the 3 cups flour mixture; stir in milk. Stir in enough of the remaining flour mixture to make dough easy to handle. Stir in additional bread flour if needed.

Turn dough onto lightly floured surface; knead 5 minutes or until smooth and elastic. Dough should feel soft and moist but not sticky. Place in greased bowl; dust with flour. Cover and let rise in warm place 30 to 45 minutes or until doubled in size.

Dust 2 cookie sheets with flour.

Punch down dough; turn onto lightly floured surface. Knead 5 minutes. Pat dough into a 12-inch squares cut into 4 triangles. Place 2 triangles on each cookie sheet. Cover and let rise in warm place 45 minutes or until double.

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.

Brush loaves with egg; sprinkle with kosher salt and cumin.

Bake 50 minutes or until deep golden brown. If necessary, refrigerate 2 loaves while the first two bake.

TIP:
If you do not have a warm spot in which to let bread rise, preheat oven on lowest temperature for 30 to 60 seconds or until oven temperature registers 85 to 90 degrees F. Turn off oven, set bread in oven and let rise. Do not open oven door.

Makes 4 loaves
Source: Betty Crocker Cookbook