| 1 | Melt yeast in warm water. |
| 2 | Set aside. |
| 3 | Bring milk to boil. |
| 4 | Add sugar, butter and salt. |
| 5 | Allow milk to cool slightly. |
| 6 | Put flour in a large bowl leaving about a tablespoon of it in the measuring cup for hands and make a hole in the center. |
| 7 | Pour liquid into it. |
| 8 | Add yeast and egg. |
| 9 | Start mixing with spoon or paddle, pushing flour from all sides into center. |
| 10 | Dough will be sticky until flour is absorbed. |
| 11 | Begin kneading dough in the bowl and then transfer it to a lightly floured board. |
| 12 | Continue kneading until dough is smooth and elastic, about 20 minutes. |
| 13 | Place dough in a greased bowl. |
| 14 | Cover with towel dampened with hot water. |
| 15 | Set aside in a warm place to rise until bulk has doubled, about 4 hours. |
| 16 | Punch down in the middle. |
| 17 | Knead for a few minutes and shape into a round loaf or into individual rolls (see below). |
| 18 | Using fingers, rub top with egg yolk and sprinkle with sesame seeds. |
| 19 | Place in greased baking pans. |
| 20 | Let rise once more, uncovered, in a warm place, approximately 1 hour. |
| 21 | Bake in preheated oven at 375°F for 45 minutes. |
| 22 | Remove from oven; allow to cool 10 minutes before removing bread from pan. |
| 23 | To shape traditional kouloura: divide dough into 3 long ropes. |
| 24 | Braid together. |
| 25 | Place braid in a greased tube pan or a large round baking pan. |
| 26 | Stretch dough to make ends meet. |
| 27 | Use egg yolk to stick ends together. |
| 28 | To shape koulourakia rolls: pinch off pieces of dough. |
| 29 | Roll on board with the palms of your hands to make a rope 6" long. |
| 30 | Twist it into a hairpin, coil the ends around each other and stick the tips together with a dab of egg yolk. |
| 31 | Or coil it like a snake, round and round; or roll into small round balls using the palms of your hands. |
| 32 | Do not flatten or press down as you roll. |
