Old-Fashioned Beer Bread

Directions

1. 1
   Heat milk in microwave until just warmed (about 35 seconds)Dissolve 1 tsp sugar into warm milk.
2. 2
   Sprinkle yeast over milk mixture and let sit for 10 minutes or until mixture is foamy.
3. 3
   Heat beer, 2 tbsp sugar, butter, and salt together in a saucepan until butter is just melted.
4. 4
   Remove from heat and let cool until lukewarm (if it's too hot it will kill the yeast).
5. 5
   Beat in yeast mixture with a fork.
6. 6
   Place 4 cups flour into a bowl. Make a well in the center and add the beer mixture and then the yeast mixture.
7. 7
   Stir with a wooden spoon; mix dough with hands when spoon requires too much effort.
8. 8
   Place 1/4 cup flour onto work space and turn dough out onto the flour.
9. 9
   Knead for 10 minutes, adding as much of the remaining flour as the dough will take. Knead until the dough is smooth and elastic.
10. 10
    Lightly grease a large bowl. Place dough in bowl and roll it around until well coated.
11. 11
    Cover bowl tightly with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place for two hours or until dough has doubled in size.
12. 12
    Punch down dough in the bowl.
13. 13
    Roll back into a ball and let rest for 10 minutes.
14. 14
    Divide ball in half and knead each half into a ball.
15. 15
    Using a rolling pin, gently roll each ball into an 8x11 inch rectangle.
16. 16
    Starting at the narrow end, roll each rectangle up tightly.
17. 17
    Pinch the ends and the seams together and place the loaves seam side down into greased loaf pans.
18. 18
    Cover and let rise for 1 hour or until doubled in size.
19. 19
    Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
20. 20
    Mix egg yolk and water together.
21. 21
    Brush the tops of the loaves lightly with egg wash and then slash the tops of the loaves with a large knife (the sharper the better).
22. 22
    Bake for approximately 30 minutes or until golden.
23. 23
    Loaves should make a hollow sound when tapped.