|
Italian Easter Bread
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 packages dry-active yeast
pinch of
salt
2-1/2 to 3-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2/3 cup milk
2 tablespoons
butter
2 eggs, room temperature
1/2 cup candied fruit
1/3 cup chopped
almond, blanched
1/2 teaspoon anise seed
2 tablespoons vegetable
shortening, melted
5 eggs (uncooked but tinted with food
coloring)
glaze
1 cup powdered sugar
1 tablespoon milk
drop of
vanilla
Combine sugar, yeast, salt, and 1 cup of the flour.
Gently
heat milk and butter until butter has melted.
Pour into the dry ingredients
and beat until well combined.
Add eggs and 1/2 cup flour (enough to make a
thick batter).
Beat vigorously for 2-3 minutes.
Stir in enough flour to
make a ball of dough that pulls away from the sides of the bowl.
Knead about
10 minutes, (use flour as needed)
Place the dough in a greased bowl, rotate
dough to oil top of dough.
Cover tightly with plastic wrap and put in a warm
place until doubled in bulk about 1 hour.
Combine the fruit, nuts, and anise
seed.
Punch down the dough and return it to a lightly floured board.
Knead in the fruit mixture.
Divide the dough in half.
Roll each piece
into a 24" rope.
Loosely twist the two ropes together and form a ring and
place on a greased baking sheet.
Pinch the ends together.
Brush the
dough with melted shortening.
Tuck egg into the twists, push down as far as
possible.
Cover the bread with wax paper and let rise in a warm place until
double in bulk, about 1 hour.
Preheat oven to 350F.
Bake about 35 minutes
or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.
Place on a wire rack to
cool.
Combine powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla.
Drizzle over cooled
bread.
|
