Title: ITALIAN EASTER BREAD
Categories: Breads, Italian
Yield: 1 servings
1/4 c Sugar
1 ts Salt
1 pk Dry yeast
2 1/2 To 3-1/2 cups unbleached
-flour
2/3 c Milk
2 tb Butter
2 Eggs, at room temperature
1/2 c Mixed candied fruit
1/3 c Chopped blanched almonds.
1/2 ts Anise seed
2 tb Melted shortening
5 Uncooked eggs colored with
-Easter Egg Dye
ICING:
1 c Confectioner's sugar
1 tb Milk
1/8 ts Vanilla
colored sprinkles
In a large mixing bowl, blend the sugar, salt, and
yeast well with 1 cup of the flour. In a saucepan,
combine milk and butter, heating slowly until liquid
is warm and butter is melted. Pour the milk into the
dry ingredients and beat 125 strokes with a wooden
spoon. Add eggs and 1/2 cup flour or enough to make a
thick batter. beat vigorously for 2 minutes.
Then stir in enough flour to make a ball of dough that
draws away from the sides of the bowl. Turn out onto
a floured board and knead for about 10 minutes,
working in additional flour to overcome stickiness.
Place the dough in a greased bowl, turning to grease
the top. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and put in a
warm, draft-free place until doubled in bulk about 1
hour. Meanwhile, combine the fruit,nuts, and anise
seed. Punch down the dough and return it to a lightly
floured board. Knead in the fruit mixture, keeping
the syrupy pieces dusted with flour until they are
worked into the dough. Divide the dough in half.
Carefully roll each piece into a 24 inch rope - the
fruit and nuts will make this slightly difficult.
Loosely twist the two ropes together and form a ring
on a greased baking sheet. Pinch the ends together
well. Brush the dough with melted shortening. Push
aside the twist to make a place for each egg.
Push eggs down carefully as far as possible. Cover
the bread with wax paper and let rise in a
warm,draft-free place until double in bulk, about 1
hour. Bake the bread in a preheated 350 F oven for
about 35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in a
twist comes out clean. Place on a wire rack to cool.
Once the bread is cool, drizzle the icing on top
between the eggs, and decorate with colored sprinkles.
Makes 1 loaf.
Origin: Hearth and Home Companion Shared by: Sharon
Stevens
