Ingredients
2 teaspoon active dry yeast
2 cups warm milk divided
7 cups all purpose flour
1 ¾ cups sugar
¼ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon turmeric powder
2 large eggs
200 gr unsalted butter melted and cooled
1 teaspoon poppy seeds
Instructions
In a small bowl, combine yeast and 1 cup warm milk. Let it stand for 5 minutes until foamy.
In a large mixing bowl, mix together flour, sugar, salt and turmeric.
Make a well in the center and pour in milk-yeast mixture along with 1 cup warm milk, 1 egg, and melted butter.
Using your hands, mix until a sticky ball forms.
Transfer the dough onto a flat surface and knead until elastic. In the beginning, the dough will very sticky in the beginning, but it will become less sticky as you continue kneading it.
The final dough should be fluffy and not very tight, so resist the temptation to add more flour unless the dough is remains sticky after continuously kneading it.
Shape the dough into a ball and place it back in mixing bowl. Cover the bowl with a kitchen towel and let the dough rise in a warm place for about 2 hours, the dough needs to rise twice as much.
Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
Punch the dough down and divide it into 2 equal pieces and shape them into balls.
Place the balls onto your work surface and flatten with your hands to form into disks 23 cm in diameter.
Transfer the disks onto 2 baking sheets lined with parchment paper.
Cover the bread again with a clean kitchen towel and let it rise again for 1 hour.
Preheat the oven to 190C.
Right before baking, whisk 1 yolk with three teaspoons of milk in a small bowl.
Brush the tops of the breads with egg mixture.
Using the back of a fork, press across the top of the bed creating a cross hatch pattern.
Scatter poppy seeds over the top.
Bake in the oven until golden, 30 to 35 minutes. If you can’t fit two baking sheets on one rack, place one sheet on the lower rack, and another on the top rack, bake for 15 minutes, then switch and bake until ready.
Remove from the oven. Allow to cool completely, then cut into pieces and serve.
