Step 1

Combine flour, sugar, yeast and salt in a medium-large bowl. Stir well to combine, then make a well in the center. Set aside.

Step 2

Melt butter in the microwave for 30-50 seconds on high power, until just melted. Remove from the microwave and add the ¼ cup of milk. Stir with a fork then add the egg and egg yolk. Stir again until well mixed.

Step 3

Add the milk mixture to the well in the center of the flour. Add the hot tap water to the well then stir to combine. Continue stirring until all flour is incorporated. Cover the dough with plastic wrap and set aside in a warm place to rise until double in size, about 1 hour.

Step 4

Generously butter 4 3x6-inch loaf pans and set aside. You can also make 2 rounds of bread by using 2 8-inch cake pans.

Step 5

Sprinkle 2 tablespoons of flour onto a work surface. Transfer the dough onto the floured surface and turn several times with a bench scraper or spatula until dough is coated with flour.

Step 6

Using a bench scraper or spatula, divide the dough into four equal pieces. Turn each piece in the flour to coat all of the surfaces. Add more flour to the work surface if needed.

Step 7

Set 3 of the dough balls aside and cover with a clean kitchen towel. Place the 4th ball of dough onto the floured work surface and, using a bench scraper or sharp knife divide the dough into quarters. Cut each quarter in half. You should have 8 fairly evenly-sized pieces of dough. With your hands, tuck the edges of the dough balls underneath to form 8 balls of dough. (Don’t worry about perfect shaped balls here, the more imperfect, the more whimsical and pretty the finished loaves.)

Step 8

Flatten one of the dough balls with the palm of your hand then push it out with your fingers to make a circle of dough approximately 2½ inches in diameter. Spread the circle with a scant ½ teaspoon of butter and fold it in half. Place the folded circle in one of the prepared pans with the open edges facing up. Repeat this sequence with the remaining portions of dough to fill up one of the prepared pans.

Step 9

Repeat the above process with each of the remaining 3 portions of dough, filling up the 4 prepared bread pans. Cover the pans with a clean kitchen towel and allow to rise until doubled in size, 30-40 minutes.

Step 10

Combine the egg and water and stir vigorously with a fork. With a pastry brush, brush each loaf over the top with the egg wash. Try to be careful not to let the wash drip down the sides of the loaves into the pan.

Step 11

Towards the end of the rising time, preheat the oven to 375˚F and prepare the egg wash by vigorously whisking together the egg with 1 tablespoon of water. Set aside.

Step 12

Place loaves in the preheated oven oven for 18-25 minutes or until golden brown. If the tops seem to be getting too brown before the end of the baking time, just cover them with foil for the last few minutes. Remove from the oven and tip the loaves on their sides to remove them from the pans. Transfer the loaves to a cooling rack. If the loaves don’t want to release from the pan, run a small sharp knife between the edges of the loaves and the pan to loosen. Enjoy!