Zopf - Swiss white bread

This is a beautiful white bread that is traditionally made for Sunday breakfast/brunch. I got the recipe from a friends and it is so easy to make and delicious I thought I must share it right away! Thanks Maria for this recipe!

500g white flour 
60 g butter 
7g dry yeast (approx. 2 1/4 tsps ) 
300 ml milk (hand warm) 
1 teaspoons salt 
1 teaspoons sugar 
1 egg yolks  

1.Combine flour, salt and sugar.  
2.Add butter and crumble into the flour evenly till it resembles breadcrumbs  
3.Dissolve the yeast in the hand-warm milk stand for about 5 mins or until creamy and foamy Pour into the flour and mixing it all together  
4.Knead the dough forcefully so as to activate the gluten  
5.Once well kneaded, set aside with a lid on the bowl and let it rise to double its size (takes a little over an hour I would say)  
6.Once risen, divide the dough into 3 equal bits and roll each piece into a long cylinder 7.Braid the pieces together and place on a baking sheet.  
8.Cover with a very light damp cloth (optional) and let rise until doubled in size, about 1/2 hour.  
9.Meanwhile, preheat oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C).  
10.In a small bowl, beat the egg yolk with a tiny bit of water.Brush risen loaf with the egg yolk and bake for 35 to 45mins or until golden.  
11.To check if the bread is done, grab it with an oven mitt and tap the underneath with a wooden spoon, if it sounds hollow, it done.  

Enjoy with a spread of your choice or dunk it in a stew. I ate mine with some lemon curd 
spread on it and later with the beef stew and it was divine!