Dissolve yeast in 1/2 c of warm milk; add 1/4 tsp sugar until yeast becomes active, Add one cup of the flour to the yeast; sprinkle with flour and let rise until double.
2
Combine salt and egg yolks; beat until thick. Add sugar, honey and peels, mix until well combined and light in color
3
combine the yeast mixture with the egg yolk mixture. Add two cups of the flour and the remaining milk, alternating each other so that the mixture doesn''t get too wet or dry. Knead for 5-10 minutes.
4
Add remaining flour and the butter and knead until the dough comes away from the sides of the bowl. Cover and let rise until double.
5
Seperate into 6 small loaves; cover 5 of the loaves. Seperate the remaining loaf into 3 parts. Roll into long snakes. Pinch one side of the long snakes together;braid stips together. Repeat with remaining loaves.
6
Brush with slightly beaten egg whites and sprinkle with poppy seeds. Bake at 350 for @ 40 minutes; switching loaf positions every 15 minutes for even baking.
