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1
IN A LARGE MIXING BOWL, stir the warm water and yeast together, and let stand for a minute or so to dissolve.
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2
Stir in the yogurt, 9-grain cereal, bran flakes, salt, butter, rye flour and 1 1/2 cups of the all-purpose flour.
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3
Beat vigorously until well blended.
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4
Add enough all-purpose flour to make a manageable dough, then turn out onto a lightly floured surface.
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5
Knead for a few minutes, then let rest for 10 minutes.
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6
Resume kneading for a good 10 minutes, until the dough is elastic, sprinkling on a little more all-purpose flour as necessary to keep it from being too sticky.
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7
Knead in the fennel seeds.
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8
Place in a large greased bowl, cover with plastic wrap or a clean damp cloth, and let rise until double in bulk.
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9
Punch the dough down and divide into 3 equal parts.
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10
Roll each piece into a long round strand about 3/4 inch thick, making them all the same length.
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11
Pinch the strands together at one end, and braid.
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12
When you've finished braiding, pinch both ends together firmly and tuck them under a bit, to give the loaf a neat look.
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13
Transfer to a baking sheet that's been sprinkled with the cornmeal, cover loosely, and let rise again until double in bulk.
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14
Brush with the egg-yolk mixture, and bake in a preheated 350F (180C) oven for 45 minutes.
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15
Remove from the sheet and cool on a rack.
