EASTER BREAD (Barbara)

By á-43505

Ingredients

• Ingredients:
• 2 Tsp Active or Fast Acting Dry Yeast
• 3-1/2 to 4 cups of Flour
• 3/4 Tsp Salt
• 1/2 cup Sugar
• 3/4 Cup of Milk (warm)
• 1 Tsp of Lemon Peel (grated)
• 2 Tbsp of Butter
• 1 egg (room temperature)
• 1 Tbsp Anise Seed

Preparation

Step 1

Place milk, sugar, salt and butter in small saucepan and heat over low heat until butter melts and sugar dissolves. Cool to lukewarm, use liquid/candy thermometer - 100 deg or less.

Dissolve yeast in 1/3 cup warm water (temp: 110 to 115 deg) in bottom of warm mixer bowl.
Add lukewarm milk mixture, egg, and 3 cups flour (hold 1 cup aside and add a little at a time , add lemon peel and anise seed. Attached bowl and dough hook to mixer, turn to speed 2 and mix about 2 minutes. Continuing on speed 2, add remaining flour, ¼ cup at a time*, and mix about 2 minutes or until dough clings to hook and cleans sides of bowl. Mix an additional 2 minutes longer for kneading purposes.

Place dough in butter-greased bowl, turning once to grease top. Cover , let rise in warm place until dough has doubled in size.

After rising, punch down, cut dough into thirds. Stretch and roll each piece with your hands until you have 3 long rolls of uniform size. Pinch ends of dough firmly together and start the braiding and pinch again when finished. Form into circle pinching dough together.

Place on buttered cookie sheet, cover, and let rise for about ½ hour or until it almost doubles. Brush with egg yolk lightly beaten with 1 tsp cold water.

Bake 25-30 minutes on 350 deg.


*Dough should be slightly sticky