this was the starting point, which led me to this CBS video which is strangely cut off close to the end. The flour named was unbleached, all purpose (US) which I took as plain flour for the UK. Eventually I used Allinsons strong bread flour

Ingredients

Yeast sponge/active ingredients:

• 2 1/4 tsp. dried yeast (one packet, 7gms) [or 4.5 tsp fresh yeast]
• 1/3 cup warm milk = 73ml, hand hot
• 1 egg (at room temperature)
• 1 cup flour (5oz, 150g)

Use the mixing bowl you'll use to mix it in as other ingredients are added to this. Stir the yeast into the milk until dissolved.

Some say leave until the yeast is foaming at this point.

Add the egg and plain flour. Stir in with a spatula

Cover with a further cup (5 oz) of flour. (I think this is just as an indicator)

After 30 or 40 minutes the yeast mixture should rise and crack the surface of the flower, which shows you that the yeast is alive.

Add the rest of the ingredients to the mixing bowl, on top of the dry flour which acts as an "insulator" to keep the salt from the yeast:

• 1/3 cup (rounded) sugar (3 oz, 80gm)
• 1 tsp. course salt. I used Malvern, a pure salt used in a table salt grinder
• 4 eggs
• 1 cup flour (reserve another 1/2 cup flour to add if needed) (5oz = 1 cup)

That's why you start the yeast in the mixing bowl!

Turn on the mixer at a slow speed, using the hook attachment.

Not having any other indication, I added the extra half cup of flour once it had started mixing. I've no idea how wet/dry it should be at this stage

The dough should wrap itself around the hook. Let it mix for 15 minutes, or until it starts to slap against the side of the bowl. Mine never really did, which may have been due to the rigidity of the bowl / mixer. The dough at this stage is almost shiny on the surface, and really quite glue-like in appearance. Nothing like a bread mix.

Take 1 1/2 sticks of butter (6 oz), room temperature. Mash the butter to get the butter to the same consistency as your dough. I used a palette knife on a baking tray, just working the butter until it was soft. Keep your hands off it, it shouldn't melt

Add butter to the dough 1 tablespoonful at a time while continuing to mix. Wait until each addition is completely incorporated before adding more butter.

Stop as soon as the butter is incorporated. You should hear that slapping noise again. No, I didn't. It does take a while to incorporate the buttr though

The temperature of the dough should be cool so the butter doesn't get oily. Transfer your dough to a lightly oiled bowl and put it aside until it doubles in volume (about 2 hours). Ideally, it should be not warmer than 75F (24C) to prevent the bread from rising too quickly. My room temperature was about 21 C when it rose

Once the dough has risen, gently knock the air out of it. Remove from the bowl and knead a few times. The dough will lose some of its air which is ok, it will rise again.

My choice was buns for half the mix and a loaf for the rest. Cut the mix in half and return one half to the fridge, covered in cling film with butter on it to stop the dough sticking

For a loaf

You'll need a dish deep enough for the dough to rise to twice it's volume. A one pound loaf tin should be enough. My finished loaf weighed in at one pound three ounces. I actually used a round cake tin with a loose base, just to make sure it was big enough.

Knead the mix again, to remove air, the press it firmly into the tin.

Place dough in the refrigerator for 4-6 hours (or overnight). I waited about 5 hours.

Put the oven on about 375 F (190 C.... except I have a fan oven, so I chose 175 C). Brush the top with one egg yolk and about the same or less volume of milk, mixed lightly with a fork. It will look so much better with this 'glaze', it is worth doing.

After 15 minutes I put a sheet of tinfoil on top of the loaf, just pressed lightly into the tin, since the top was more than dark enough. I also turned the oven down ten degrees. After 30 minutes mine was done. The test is to tap the top and listen for a hollow sort of sound. I took the loaf out of the tin and tapped the bottom. It was done. No dull sound of uncooked dough! Let it stand for a few minutes then take it out of the tin and put on a cake stand. Done! Mine lasted about two days kept in an airtight Tupperware container. A sealed polythene bag would suffice. Being fresh it would dry out pretty quickly. This is the result. You can see why I placed the tinfoil over the top, it's a lovely colour.

For some buns

I think these are called Chelsea bun type of things? Anyway, take the dough out of the fridge (try and handle as little as possible, to stop the dough getting warm).

In preparation take out 3 ounces of butter and warm to room temperature

Knead the dough a little and roll out to a rectangle about 14 inches side to side and about 11 inches front to back. No it's not easy. Use flour as necessary to stop it sticking to the surface and your rolling pin. Dot butter around the sheet in small pieces until you have it covered. I used about 2 of the 3 ounces of butter. These will drip once in the oven, so to keep your oven clean make sure you use small pieces! It should finish up looking like dough with chicken pox.

Now fold the dough into 4. Fold right end to the middle, left end to middle, then fold the whole thing in two along the vertical fold. I hope that's clear. Now dust with flour (to stop it sticking), wrap in clingfilm (Saren wrap on 'tother side of the pond) and put back into the fridge to cool down. About thirty minutes this time.

Take it out of the fridge and onto a floured surface. Roll out to 14 by 11 inches again. This time put about an ounce of butter (yes, the remnants of the 3 ounce) on a plate, and microwave for 30 seconds or until nearly melted. Brush the whole surface with butter, especially the two long edges.

Now start to roll the pastry (not too tightly), rolling one 14 inch edge towards the other. It's OK once you get started. Try the palette knife if it is sticking to the surface. Now you see why you wanted butter near the edges. To make it stick!

Butter a dish big enough to hold about a dozen 'rolls'. Mine was 9 inches round and about 2 inches deep.

Cut the sausage of dough into roughly 1 1/2 inch lengths (your choice) and place in the tin. Make sure they don't touch one another. They need room to expand. When done, cover with buttered clingfilm and put to one side to rise. Mine took about two hours at 20 degrees C. Yet again it's that mythical 'double in volume'.

Take them out and brush the tops with the egg yolk+milk mix mentioned above.

Oven on, same temperature as for the loaf, 190 C, 175 with a fan oven. If your baking tin is not sealed at the bottom, Put a tray underneath the baking tin!. That will catch the melted butter where you put too much on and it's running through.... Unless your baking tin is sealed, in which case I don't know what happens. Perhaps the butter melts back into the dough?

25 minutes and it was done. Tasted lovely after they'd cooled down.