Mix starter, water, yeast, and honey and let it bubble up
while you do next step. In a large bowl mix 4 cups of the flour and salt. Make a
well in the center of the flour/salt mixture and add eggs and oil. Add the
frothy yeast mixture and stir with a thick-handled wooden spoon or paddle if you
have one.
Add flour until the mixture pulls away from the bowl. It need
not be smooth. Sprinkle flour on a counter or kneading board and put the dough
in the middle. Scrape as much as you can from the mixing bowl and then wash the
bowl for use in a later step. Knead the bread adding flour until it is smooth
and elastic. It should feel like a baby's bare bottom when you pat it.
Place the dough in the mixing bowl which you have oiled. Cover
with waxed paper and a tea towel and set it in a warm place to rise. It is ready
when you can see your finger marks in the dough after you poke it. Turn it out
on the board/counter and mash it down to remove large air bubbles. Braid into
two or four loaves and place on oiled cookie sheets. Let rise for another half
hour.
Set oven to 350F. Glaze leaves with egg yolk mixture and
sprinkle liberally with poppy seeds. Bake for about a half hour rotating the
trays in the oven. Loaves should sound hollow when thumped. Let cool.
I usually make into 4 small loaves and freeze the ones I don't
use. When I need them, I wrap frozen loaves in foil and bake at 350F for about
15 minutes.
From: Donna Holberg
Kuttner (dkuttner@proaxis.com )
