White Bread with Caraway Seeds - Weißbrot mit Kümmel

What better way to start the day then the fresh smell of this delicious White Bread (Weißbrot).

1/4 cup lukewarm water
2 eggs, at room temperature
3 packages active dry yeast
1/4 pound unsalted butter, room temperature
2 teaspoon sugar
1/2 cup lukewarm milk
1 tablespoon salt
4 cups all-purpose flour, sifted
1 tablespoon caraway seeds
cornmeal

Pour the lukewarm water into a small, shallow bowl and sprinkle the yeast and 1/2 teaspoon of the sugar over it. Let the yeast and sugar stand 2 or 3 minutes, then stir together to dissolve them completely. Set in a warm, draft-free place, such as an unlighted oven, for 3 to 5 minutes, or until the mixture almost doubles in volume.

Transfer the yeast to a large mixing bowl and stir in the milk. Beat in 3 cups of the sifted flour, about 1/4 cup at a time. Then beat in the eggs one at a time, and finally beat in the bits of butter. Continue to beat until the dough can be gathered into a compact ball. Place the ball on a lightly floured board and knead in the remaining cup of flour, a few tablespoons at a time, pushing the dough down with the heels of your hands, pressing it forward and folding it back on itself.

Knead until all the flour is incorporated and the dough is stiff and quite dry. Shape it into a rough ball, place it in a mixing bowl, and add enough cold water to cover it by several inches. In 10 to 15 minutes, the top of the dough should rise above the surface of the water.
Remove the dough from the water and pat the surface as dry as you can with paper towels.

Return it to a floured board, punch it down, and sprinkle with the remaining 1 1/2 teaspoon sugar, the salt and the caraway seeds. Lightly flouring the dough from time to time, knead it for about 10 minutes, or until smooth and elastic. Pat and shape the dough into a round loaf about 8 inches in diameter, mounded slightly in the center.

Sprinkle a baking sheet lightly with cornmeal, place the dough in the center of the sheet and cover it loosely with a kitchen towel. Let the dough rise in a warm, draft-free place for about 30 minutes, or until it doubles in bulk. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

Bake the bread in the middle of the preheated oven for about 1 hour. The crust should be a light golden color. Remove the bread from the baking sheet and cool it on a rack before serving. Makes one 10-inch round loaf.