"Mountain" Breads

Ingredients：

Dough
1. all purpose flour 4 and 1/2 cups
2. quick rise yeast 3 teaspoons
3. eggs 4 (large)
4. sugar 4 tablespoons and 2 tablespoons of maple syrup
5. salt 1/2 teaspoon
6. butter (or shortening) 1/3 cup
7. warm milk 1 cup
8. "boiled-milk-dough" a few
9. plain yogurt 1/2 cup



Egg Wash:
1 egg yolk and 2 tablespoons milk well blended.



Preparation:
1. First of all,we have to prepare (item 8) a night before.
Use a mixing bowl, add 3/4 cup of all purpose flour, then boil (by microwave) 150ml of milk. Blend the boiling milk into the flour until it becomes sticky dough. Seal it and keep in the fridge overnight.

2. warm up the milk a little bit and add in yeast, stir till it melts in milk.

3. In a big mix bowl, put flour, sugar, maple sugar, salt in and slowly pour in "yeast+milk" mixture (keep kneading while pouring in), then pour in the slightly-beaten-egg, add butter and plain yogurt. Keeping kneading until the dough becomes soft and smooth (adjust by adding cold milk or flour for making perfect dough). I knead the all wheat flour dough for 15 minutes.

4. Put the dough in lightly floured container and cover it by wet cloth. Let it rise for 90 minutes (double the size).

5. Take the risen dough out and lay on the lightly floured working surface and punch the dough down to let the air out.

6. Divide the dough into 2 shares. Then divide each share into 3 shares.

7. Take first 3 shares roll (by rolling pin) into long tongue shapes and roll back like a "hay-bale". Place them in a lightly greased 9"x5" baking pan. (or, actually you can just easily shape them into 3 balls like the whole wheat breads)

8. Take other 3 shares roll into long string shapes and braid them. Place the braid in a lightly greased 9"x5" baking pan.




9. Let them rise for another 60 minutes. (be sure to keep them in moisture environment, like in the oven, put a cup of hot water aside.)



10. Brush the dough surface by egg-wash (I spread some sesames on the braied one), then place the pans on the middle rack of a preheated (350 degrees F) oven and bake for 40~45 minutes. (in case the breads get burned, you can cover them by foil at the last 15 minutes or so)






PS 1. Why are they called Mountain Breads?



PS 2. How would I know my bread is successful?

When you press your bread down, and if it bounces back right away....
Congratulations!!