Combine the milk, butter and salt in a small saucepan and heat until butter melts. Remove from heat and stir in the bran cereal. Let stand until lukewarm.

In a stand mixer bowl, combine the warm water and yeast and let sit until it foams.

Stir in cereal mixture. Gradually add 2 ½ cups of the flour and the sugar. Add the cereal mixture and stir well, then put under the dough hook and knead. If the dough seems to sticky and clings to the side of the bowl, add a few more tablespoons of flour. Knead dough until smooth and elastic. Transfer to a greased bowl. Turn the dough over so that it is slick from butter in the bowl, then cover and let rise for 45 minutes to an hour.

Punch down dough. On lightly floured surface, roll out to ½-inch thickness. Cut with floured 3-inch biscuit cutter into 12 rounds. Place on baking sheet lightly sprinkled with flour or lined with parchment. Cover with a greased sheet of plastic wrap and let rise in warm place until double in volume, about 45 minutes.

Preheat electric fry pan to 250° F or preheat large regular fry pan over low heat – I used a large non-stick skillet. I heated it to medium then reduced to heat to low. Place rounds (4 at a time or however many fit) in the pan and cook for 20 to 24 minutes, turning halfway, until sides are done and middles are about 200 degrees F. Cool completely. Split, toast and serve.