Pour water into bowl; add yeast and stir until dissolved. Break two eggs into two cup measure and add the scalded and cooleed milk. stir in mixture, then add the melted butter, salt, and sugar; stir until well blended.

Stir in 3 cups of flour, 1 cup at a time. Add 4th cup of flour and beat until dough is smooth and elastic. Mix the 5th cup of flour in to make a stiff dough.

Measure 6th cup of flour, sprinkle about half of it on board. Turn out dough onto heavily floured area of board. Keep a coating of flour on the dough as you begin to knead.

With floured hands, fold dough toward you with fingers; push firmly away with heel of your hand. Add more flour to board as it's kneaded in - until the dough no longer sticks.

Kneading is finished when non-sticky dough is smooth and satiny. Put dough in greased bowl, grease top lightly. Cover bowl and set in warm place (about 80°) to rise.

Let dough rise until almost doubled (about 1 1/2 hrs at 80°). Test by inserting two fingers about 1/2 in into risen dough - if indentations remain, the dough is ready to shape.

Punch dough down; squeeze out air bubbles with your hands; shape into a smooth ball. Grasp in center of ball and squeeze dough to divide into equal portions for the two loaves.

Form each loaf by squeezing dough to press out air bubbles; shape into smooth oval. Divide the dough for each loaf into three parts; roll each into a strand. Braid each trio of strands together, pinching ends to seal.

Put loaves onto lightly greased baking sheet; cover and let rise in warm place until almost doubled (about 45 mins). Brush with a slightly beaten egg, then put in 375° oven.

Bake until nicely browned (about 30 to 35 mins). Remove from oven; cool before slicing or wrapping.