Re: Easter
EASTER BREAD RING
5 to 6 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup granulated sugar
5 and 1/2 teaspoons active dry yeast
1 teaspoon grated orange zest
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons orange juice
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup milk
3/4 cup butter flavor crisco
3 large eggs, beaten
6 hard boiled, naturally decorated eggs
1 large egg
1 tablespoon milk
In a large bowl, combine 3 cups of flour with sugar, yeast, orange zest, and salt. Mix until well blended.
In a saucepan , heat milk over medium high heat until it just boils. Remove from heat and stir in crisco until melted. Stir in orange juice and vanilla. Allow to cool to 120ºF. Pour milk mixture and beaten eggs over flour mixture.
Mix until well combined, but still soft and sticky. Slowly stir in enough remaining flour to make a soft dough. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 4 hours or overnight.
Spray a baking sheet with cooking spray. Remove dough from refrigerator and punch down. Divide dough in half, and on a floured surface, roll each piece into a rope about 24 inches long. Twist the ropes together, and place dough on baking sheet, joining the ends together to form a ring shape.
Push the hard-boiled eggs, heavy end down, between the spaces in the twisted ropes around the ring. Spray a piece of plastic wrap with cooking spray and cover bread. Let rise until doubled in size, about 1-1/2 hours.
Heat oven to 400ºF. Beat egg with 1 tablespoon of milk. Place in oven and bake for 15 minutes. Brush bread with egg wash, lower oven heat to 350ºF, and continue to bake for about 20 to 25 minutes, until golden brown and done. Remove from oven and place on a wire cooling rack.
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