Recipe - English Cottage Loaf

1 One half Envelopes dry yeast or 1 1/2
cakes fresh yeast
1 teaspoon Sugar
2 One half cup Warm or lukewarm milk
1 tablespoon Salt
6 To 7 cups allpurpose flour
or bread flour
Rolled oats
1 Egg blended with 2 Tbs milk
or cream (glaze)

Makes 2 medium loaves

Sprinkle dry yeast and sugar over warm milk (105 115 F) in large bowl;
stir to dissolve. If using cake yeast, crumble yeast into large bowl. Stir
in sugar and lukewarm milk (95 F). Let stand until foamy.

Add salt and 2 cups flour. Whisk in until smooth. Using spoon, mix in
enough remaining flour to form soft dough. Knead on floured surface until
smooth and elastic, kneading in more flour if sticky, about 10 minutes.

Grease large bowl. Add dough, turning to coat entire surface. Cover bowl
with plastic. Let rise in warm draftfree area until tripled, about 2
hours.

Gently knead dough in bowl until deflated. Cover and let rise again until
doubled in volume, about 1 hour.

Cover 2 baking sheets with oats. Gently turn dough out on lightly floured
surface and divide in half. Cut off 2/3 of 1 piece of dough and gently
knead into round. Place on prepared sheet; form well in center. Gently
knead remaining 1/3 of dough piece into round and set in well atop first
piece. With floured finger, make hole down center of both rounds to baking
sheet. Repeat with remaining dough half. Cover with waxed paper or towel.
Let rise in warm draftfree area until doubled in volume, abut 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 425 F. Brush loaves with glaze. Bake until golden brown
and loaves sound hollow when tapped on bottom, about 35 minutes.
Immediately transfer to rack and cool.

Bon Appetit