Sweet Dough

1. 1

   Heat milk to 120 to 130 degrees.

2. 2

   Rub yeast into flour in a large bowl, then rub in butter. Stir in sugar and salt. Fold in milk and eggs with bowl scraper, rotating bowl, until liquid is absorbed and a wet, sticky dough forms. (Dough will be wetter than most you've encountered - don't be tempted to add more flour.)

3. 3

   Slide your fingers underneath both sides of the dough with your thumbs on top. Lift dough toward you, letting it hang slightly. In a continuous motion, swing dough down, slapping the bottom onto the surface, then stretch dough up and back over itself in an arc to trap in air. Repeat until dough is supple, cohesive and starts to bounce slightly off surface, about 8 minutes.

4. 4

   Transfer dough to lightly floured clean surface. Form into a ball and transfer to bowl. Cover with a kitchen towel and let rise in a draft-free place until doubled, about 1 hour. Makes enough for 2 large loaves.

* Per serving · 4 servings · Values may vary.

No additional tips available.