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Italian Easter Bread

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Italian Easter Bread 0 Picture

Ingredients

  • step 1
  • 3 tbs plus 1 tsp cool water
  • 1/4 tsp sugar
  • 1 1/2 tsp dry yeast
  • 7 tbs flour (1.75oz)
  • step 2
  • 2/3 c flour
  • 4 large egg yolks
  • 3 tbs cool water
  • 2 tsp sugar
  • step 3
  • 6 tbs (3/4 stick) butter, room temp cut into 6 pieces
  • 5 tbs sugar
  • 2 large egg yolks
  • 1 tbs honey
  • ___________
  • 2 1/4 c flour
  • step 4
  • 1/2 c cool water
  • 1 1/2 tsp dry yeast
  • 2 c flour
  • 1 c (2 sticks) butter, room temp cut into 12 pieces
  • 6 tbs sugar
  • 4 large egg yolks
  • 3 tbs lukewarm whole milk
  • 2 tsp vanilla
  • 1 1/2 tsp fine sea salt
  • 1 1/2 c chopped candied orange peel
  • step 5
  • 1/2 c flour
  • 2 size C3 paper baking molds
  • step 6
  • 1 c sugar
  • 1/2 cup whole unblanched almonds
  • 3 large egg whites
  • 1/4 tsp almond extract
  • 1 1/3 cup sliced almonds
  • powdered sugar

Details

Preparation

Step 1

step 1

combine water and sugar in bowl of heavy duty mixer. Stir in yeast. Let stand until yeast dissolves, about 10 minutes. Using rubber spatula, mix in flour (dough will be firm). Cover bowl with plastic wrap. Let starter rise until puffy, about 45 minutes.

step 2

Attach dough hook to mixer. Add all ingredients in step 2 to starter. Beat until blended, scraping down sides of bowl often, about 5 minutes. (dough will be soft and thick). Scrape dough off hood, remove hook. Cover bowl with plastic. Let dough rise at room temp until puffy and bubbly on top, about 1 hour. The dough will look thick, shiny and slightly puffed.

step 3

Reattach clean dough hook/ Add first 5 ingredients in step 3 to dough, beat until blended. Add flour. Beat at low speed until smooth, scraping down blow and hook often, about 5 minutes (dough will be firm and compact). Scrape dough off hook. Remove hook. Cover bowl with plastic, let dough rise at room tem until lighter in texture and slightly puffed, about 3 1/2 hours. The dough will double in volume and become lighter in texture but less glossy.

step 4

Reattach clean dough hook. Mix water and yeast in small cup. Let stand until yeast dissolves, about 10 minutes. Add to dough. Add 1 1/3 c flour, 1/2 of butter, sugar and 2 yolks. Beat until dough is smooth about 3 minutes. Scrape down dough hook and sides of bowl. Add remaining 2 yolks, milk, vanilla and salt. Beat at low speed until blended, about 3 minutes. Scrape down hook. Add remaining 2/3 c flour, remaining butter and orange peel. Beat dough until well blended, about 5 minutes. Scrap dough into very large buttered blow. Cover with plastic. Let dough rise at room temp until doubled and indentation remains when 2 fingers are pressed about 1/4 inch into dough, 8 to 10 hours.

step 5

Sprinkle 1/2 c flour onto work surface. Scrape dough out onto floured work surface. Gently toss dough in flour until easy to handle. Separate into 2 pieces. Place in paper molds. Cover with plastic. Let stand at room temp until dough rises to top of each mold and indentation remains when 2 fingers are pressed about 1/4 inch into dough, about 3 1/4 hours.

step 6

Position rack in bottom third of oven and preheat to 375. Finely grind sugar and whole almonds in processor. Add egg whites and almond extract. blend 10 seconds. Peel plastic off dough in molds. Spoon half of almond glaze over top of each. Sprinkle each with sliced almonds. Sift powdered sugar over. Slide rimless baking sheet under molds. Slide molds directly onto oven rack.

Bake breads until brown on top of slender wooden skewer inserted into center comes out clean, about 45 minutes. Cool breads completely on rack. (can be made ahead, Wrap, let stand at room temp up to 2 day or freeze up to 1 week).

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