In a large bowl, stir together the
milk, butter, sugar and yeast. Leave for 15 minutes to dissolve.
Stir in the egg yolk, salt and 275 g
of the flour.
Add half the remaining flour and stir
to obtain a soft dough.
Transfer to a floured surface and
knead, adding flour if necessary, until smooth and elastic. Place in a
bowl, cover and leave in a warm place until the dough doubles in volume,
about 1 1/2 - 2 hours.
Grease a baking sheet. Punch down the
dough with your fist and cut into 12 pieces the size of golf balls. Roll
each piece into a rope, twist to form a knot and place 2.5cm apart on
the sheet.
Cover loosely and leave to rise in a
warm place until doubled in volume, about 1 - 1 1/2 hours.
Preheat the oven to 180oC/350oF/Gas
4. Brush the knots with the egg glaze and sprinkle over the poppyseeds.
Bake until the tops are lightly
browned, about 30 minutes.