Ingredients

For the Dough

• 1 1/2 cups milk
• 1/2 cup plus 1/2 teaspoon sugar
• 1/2 cup water, lukewarm
• 1 (0.25-ounce) package active dry yeast
• 7 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, divided
• 3 large eggs, at room temperature, beaten
• 1/3 cup unsalted butter, melted
• 1 1/2 teaspoons fine salt

For the Egg Wash

• 1 large egg, at room temperature
• 2 tablespoons water

Instructions

1. In a heavy-bottomed saucepan, scald the 1 1/2 cups milk and set aside to cool until lukewarm.
2. In a large bowl, dissolve 1/2 teaspoon sugar in the 1/2 cup water (lukewarm) and sprinkle the 1 (0.25-ounce) active dry yeast over it. Mix and let stand for 10 minutes.
3. Add the lukewarm scalded milk and 2 1/2 cups of flour to the yeast mixture. Beat until smooth. Cover and let rise until light and bubbly.
4. Add 3 large eggs, the remaining 1/2 cup sugar, 1/3 cup melted unsalted butter, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, and 4 1/2 to 5 cups of the remaining flour to make a dough that is not too stiff and not too slack.
5. Knead until dough no longer sticks to the hand and is smooth and satiny (about 7 minutes in a stand mixer, longer by hand).
6. Place dough in a greased bowl, turn to grease both sides, cover with greased plastic wrap, and let rise until doubled.
7. Punch down, cover, and let rise again.
8. Reserve a third of the dough for decorating. Shape the rest into a round loaf and place in a 10- to 12-inch greased round pan.
9. Shape the reserved dough into decorations of choice—a cross, swirls, rosettes, braiding, etc.—and arrange on top of the dough.
10. Cover the pan with greased plastic wrap and let rise until almost doubled.
11. Heat oven to 400 F. Brush bread with 1 large egg beaten with 2 tablespoons water.
12. Bake 15 minutes. Reduce temperature to 350 F and bake an additional 40 minutes, or until an instant-read thermometer registers 190 F. If necessary, cover the top of the bread with aluminum foil to prevent over-browning.
13. Remove from the oven and turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely.