2 cups milk, scalded
1 cup (2 sticks) butter
1 1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup milk
2 cakes yeast (or equivalent)
1 tbsp. sugar
9 cups all-purpose flour
2 eggs, beaten
1/2 cup yellow raisins
beaten egg

GLAZE:

1 tbsp. sugar
2 tbsp. water

Add butter, salt and 1/2 cup sugar to scalded milk. Cool to lukewarm. Heat 1/2 cup milk to lukewarm. Add crumbled yeast and 1 tablespoon sugar. Set aside until foamy, about 10 minutes.

Pour lukewarm butter-milk mixture into a large bowl. Add 3 cups flour. Stir with large wooden spoon until well mixed. Add yeast mixture. Stir until mixed. Add 3 more cups of flour and 2 beaten eggs. Stir. Add remaining flour and mix by hand. Let stand 10 minutes. Knead 10 minutes. Add raisins. Knead 5 minutes longer, or until dough pulls away from sides of bowl.

Turn out on lightly floured board. Wash and dry bowl in which dough was kneaded. Grease. Return dough to bowl and turn it over to grease top also. Cover bowl with towel, set in warm place and let rise 1 1/2 hours or until doubled. Then plunge hand into center of dough. Fold edges toward center. Turn dough over completely on floured board. Cover with towel and let rest 5 minutes. Shape as desired.

Note: Bread may be a plain round loaf, or take pieces of dough roll in long strips and braid. Place the braid around edge of round loaf.

This amount of dough will make one large bread or two smaller ones. Grease a large enamel or aluminum pan (11 1/2 x 7 1/2 x 4 1/2) or small pans (8 x 5 x 3). Place shaped dough in pan, or pans, set in warm place, cover with towel, and let rise 45 minutes, or until doubled and even with top of pan.

Brush with beaten egg and bake in 350°F oven (1 hour for large bread; 45 minutes for smaller breads). Remove from pan as soon as bread is baked. Place on wire rack to cool.

While hot, brush with glaze made by mixing 1 tablespoon sugar and 2 tablespoons water.

Submitted by: Anna Streza