Russian white bread ''Baton''

Ingredients for 1 servings:

• 500 g flour, or a little less if necessary
• 270 ml water, warm
• 5 g yeast, fresh
• 8 g salt, approx. 1 heaped tsp
• 20 g sugar
• 20 g butter, soft
• Milk

Instructions

Working time approx. 20 minutes; Rest time approx. 6 hours 15 minutes; Cooking/baking time approx. 20 minutes; Total time approx. 6 hours 55 minutes

Makes two loaves of bread.

For the starter, dissolve the yeast in 150 ml of water and stir in 200 g of flour. Let the dough rise in a warm place for 4 hours. After this time, add the remaining water, salt, and sugar. Stir in the butter. Gradually knead the flour into the dough. Let it rise for another 1.5 hours. Remove the yeast dough from the bowl, shape it into a ball, and let it rest on a floured surface for 5 minutes. Then cut it in half. Roll one half of the dough into a rectangle. Fold one of the long ends into the middle and place the other on top. Repeat with the second half and place both halves, seam-down, on a baking sheet lined with baking paper. Make diagonal slits with a knife. Cover the dough and let it rise for another 40 minutes. Preheat the oven to 200°C (400°F). Brush the loaves with milk before baking. Baking time is approximately 20 minutes.