Authentic Amish Milk Bread

Authentic Amish Milk Bread

Makes 6 rolls, two 9- by 5-inch loaves, or 12 split-top buns

• 5 1/3 cups bread flour, divided, plus more for surface 
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 1/3 cup mild honey (such as wildflower or alfalfa)
• 3 tablespoons nonfat dry milk powder (such as Alba)
• 2 tablespoons active dry yeast (from about 3 envelopes)
• 3 large eggs, divided
• 4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, cut into pieces, at room temperature
• Nonstick vegetable oil spray
• Flaky sea salt (optional, but shouldn't be)

1. Cook 1/3 cup flour and 1 cup water in a small saucepan over medium heat, whisking constantly, until a thick paste forms (almost like a roux but looser), about 5 minutes. Add cream and honey and cook, whisking to blend, until honey dissolves.
2. Transfer mixture to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook and add milk powder, yeast, kosher salt, 2 eggs, and 5 remaining cups flour. Knead on medium speed until dough is smooth, about 5 minutes. Add butter, a piece at a time, fully incorporating into dough before adding the next piece, until dough is smooth, shiny, and elastic, about 4 minutes.

3. Coat a large bowl with nonstick spray and transfer dough to bowl, turning to coat. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm, draft-free place until doubled in size, about 1 hour.
4. If making rolls, lightly coat a 6-cup jumbo muffin pan with nonstick spray. 
5. Turn out dough onto a floured surface and divide into 6 pieces. 
6. Divide each piece into 4 smaller pieces (you should have 24 total). They don’t need to be exact; just eyeball it. Place 4 pieces of dough side-by-side in each muffin cup.
 If making loaves, lightly coat two 9- by 5-inch loaf pans with nonstick spray. Turn out dough onto a floured surface and divide into 12 pieces. Nestle pieces side-by-side to create 2 rows down length of each pan.

7. Let shaped dough rise in a warm, draft-free place until doubled in size  1 hour.
8. Preheat oven to 350° F. Beat remaining egg with 1 teaspoon. water in a small bowl to blend. Brush top of dough with egg wash. 
9. Bake, rotating pan halfway through, until bread is deep golden brown, starting to pull away from the sides of the pan, and is baked through, 25 to 35 minutes for rolls, 30 minutes for loaf. Let milk bread cool slightly in pan on a wire rack before turning out; let cool completely.