Bread - Braided Herb Bread (Old Recipe) 

A pretty braid with rosemary leaves.

Measure hot water into measuring pitcher.  Add butter to melt.  Mix salt, rosemary, yeast, and flour in mixer bowl with dough hook.  Mix water and butter into flour mixture.  Mix in the rest of the flour, all at once (six cups, adding the last two cups if necessary to make a very stiff dough), until no more will be absorbed.  DO NOT KNEAD YET.  Butter warm stainless steel bowl and butter dough well.  Let rise 60 minutes in warm oven.  Spray large cookie sheets and warm in oven.  Punch down dough, return to mixer bowl and knead 2 minutes on speed #1.  Divide dough into 12 equal pieces and roll each into an 18 inch rope.  Braid into 4 loaves on two cookie sheets.  Brush tops generously with egg glaze.  Rise in warm oven 20 minutes.  Remove and preheat oven to 450*.  Brush again gently with egg glaze.  Bake 13 minutes switch racks and bake 10-15 minutes more until browned and sound hollow.  Cool on wire racks.

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