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1
Combine the sugar, salt, anise seed, and yeast in a small mixing bowl.
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2
Heat the milk, water, and butter in a small saucepan over medium heat until the butter is just melted; do not allow it to boil.
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3
Add the milk mixture to the dry mixture and beat well with a wire whisk.
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4
Stir in the eggs and 1 1/2 cups of the flour and beat well.
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5
Add the remaining flour, little by little, stirring well with a wooden spoon until the dough comes together.
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6
Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured wooden board and knead it until its smooth, elastic, and no longer sticky, about 9 to 10 minutes.
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7
Place in a lightly oiled bowl, cover with a clean kitchen towel, and allow the dough to rise in a warm area until it has doubled in size, about 1 1/2 hours.
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8
Heat the oven to 350 degrees F and arrange a rack in the middle.
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9
Punch down the dough and divide it into 2 pieces.
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10
Cut 3 small (about 1-ounce) balls from each half and mold them into skull-and-bones shapes.
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11
Shape the large pieces of dough into round loafs and place the skull-and-bones on top.
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12
Place the breads on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and let them rise another hour.
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13
Brush the loaves with the egg yolk mixture and bake.
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14
Halfway through baking, about 20 minutes, remove the loaves from the oven and brush again with the egg wash and sprinkle lightly with granulated sugar.
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15
Return to the oven and bake until the loaves are golden brown and sound hollow when tapped, about another 20 minutes.
