B Voycheshins Easter Bread With Saffron And Raisins Recipes

SWEET BRAIDED EASTER BREAD WITH RAISINS

Steps:

• Prep the Raisins: Place 2 cups of raisins into a small bowl. Pour boiling hot water until the water covers the raisins entirely. Let the raisins soak for 15 minutes, then drain the water and rinse the raisins. Set the raisins aside, for now, we'll use them in the recipe later.
• Heat milk and add sugar: Next, heat milk in a small saucepan over a stovetop burner on high heat for about 30 seconds or so until the milk reaches a lukewarm temperature. The milk should be barely warm at this point.
• Now transfer the milk into a small bowl. Add ¼ cup of sugar to it and stir well until the sugar dissolves entirely.
• Add yeast to milk-sugar mixture: Time to add the yeast! Sprinkle the active dry yeast over this milk-sugar mixture. Stir it in and then set it aside in a warm place for 15 minutes to allow the yeast to activate.
• You'll notice bubbles forming on the top once the yeast has activated. You'll also be able to smell the distinctive scent of yeast once it's done.
• Melt butter: Next, melt butter in a bowl in the microwave or on the stovetop. Set it aside to let it cool down.
• Beat eggs and sugar: In the large bowl of a stand mixer, beat eggs and sugar on high for 10 minutes or until it turns foamy and pale yellow in color.
• Add the yeast mixture: Now reduce to a low speed and slowly mix in the yeast mixture.
• Mix in salt and vanilla extract: Continue mixing on low while adding salt and vanilla exact to this combined mixture.
• Add melted butter: Next, add the melted butter that we set aside to cool. Continue mixing the mixture on a low speed.
• Add raisins and flour: Finally, add raisins to this mixture. Now switch o the dough hook attachment on your stand mixer. Add 1 cup of flour at a time until 6 cups of flour have been incorporated.
• Continue mixing until the dough comes together and feels smooth and elastic. This should take approximately 15 minutes.
• Let the dough rise in a warm environment for 2 hours. Cover it with a kitchen towel or plastic wrap to let it rise.
• After the dough has risen and tripled in volume, transfer it onto a floured surface. I used a large cutting board. Split the dough in half.
• Take one-half of the dough and roll it into a log. Then split it into four equal pieces.
• Roll each of the four smaller pieces into thin, long logs (about 1.5-foot-long and 1 inch thick).
• Pinch the ends of all four thin logs together to start shaping them into a braid.
• Braid them into a nice and even braid as is shown in the picture (I have video instructions on my Instagram account under the Easter Bread bubble on how to make and braid this bread).
• Pinch the opposite end of the braided loaf together, then place it on a greased baking sheet.
• Using a hand whisk, whisk egg, and milk together until it's well mixed.
• Brush the egg wash generously over the top of the easter bread challah.
• Repeat the same steps with the second half of the dough by shaping it and brushing egg wash on top of it as we did with the first piece.
• Let the braided challahs rise in a warm place for another 45 minutes to an hour. It will expand nicely and close the gaps.
• Preheat the oven to 350 F. Bake each pan for 25 minutes or both pans for 30 minutes rotating them 10 minutes before the baking time ends.
• Remove from the oven and let them cool for 15 minutes before removing them from the pan.
• Remove from the oven and let them cool for 15 minutes on a wire rack before removing them from the pan.

B. VOYCHESHIN'S EASTER BREAD WITH SAFFRON AND RAISINS

Steps:

• Scald the milk and leave to cool.
• Set raisins in water to reconstitute.
• Combine warm water, sugar and yeast. Let stand until frothy, approximately 10 minutes.
• Beat the cooled milk and first amount of flour well with beaters in a very large bowl with a tight fitting cover.
• Add the yeast mixture to the milk and flour, beat well then cover and let stand for at least 30 minutes or up to 2 hours.
• In a small bowl mix together the warm melted butter, oil, vanilla, lemon zest, lemon juice and saffron. Allow this mixture to steep and strengthen its flavor.
• Meanwhile, separate the eggs and put the yolks in a medium bowl with the two whole eggs (reserve the whites for another use, but you do need one later). I TRY TO BUY FREE RANGE EGGS FOR THIS USE SO THAT I AM SURE TO HAVE THE YELLOWEST YOLKS. Beat the eggs and yolks until they are frothy but not stiff. Add the sugar and salt and continue beating until both are dissolved.
• Add the butter/oil/saffron mix to the eggs and beat well.
• Now, combine the egg/butter mixture into the yeast and flour that was set aside earlier and beat this well.
• Take this moment to drain and pat dry the raisins that have been soaking, and toss them in the second amount of flour so that they do not sink (THIS MAY BE AN OLD WIVES TALE, BUT I DO IT ANYWAYS BECAUSE MY MOM TOLD ME TO, AND AT THIS POINT I THINK YOU SHOULD TOO).
• Begin adding the flour to the egg/butter/yeast mixture one cup at a time and beat well between each cup. Beat until you can beat no more.
• I don't have a Kitchen Aid so at about 3 cups I have to stop beating with beaters and resort to stirring by hand. I find that a flat hand held spatula helps, but you've got to do it to get all the flour in and distributed evenly.
• When all the flour is blended evenly you add the raisins to the batter, you want to distribute them throughout, but don't want to break them either, so be gentle.
• This will be less like a dough and more like a very thick batter, but with oiled hands and a floured board you should be able to knead it.
• Turn this batter out onto a WELL FLOURED BOARD, and with oiled hands knead it LOTS AND LOTS AND LOTS.
• Oil the dough and place it back into the bowl, cover it tightly and let it stand until it has doubled (60 min).
• Punch the dough down and form it into loaves.
• Let the loaves double in size (50 min).
• Bake the loaves in a preheated 400F oven for 15 minutes, brush with some of the egg whites (beaten) then turn down the oven to 350°F Continue baking for 30-40 minutes until the loaves are hollow sounding.
• Personal notes:.
• Grease loaf pans well.
• Remove the rim from a coffee can and bake these loaves in them for an authentic round loaf, be sure to keep the loaves below 1/2 full in the can or you will have a mushroom top.
• This bread makes extra-ordinarily good cinnamon buns.
• This bread also makes the most supreme French Toast.

SWEDISH SAFFRON BREAD

Steps:

• Set the oven at 250°F.
• Put the saffron in a cup and put it in the oven.
• After 5 minutes, pour 1/4 cup of very hot water over it.
• Let it steep for 20 minutes while you get on with the rest of the preparation.
• Put the raisins in a bowl and cover with hot water.
• Set aside.
• Mix the yeast with the milk and 1 teaspoon of the sugar and leave for 10 to 15 minutes in a warm but not hot spot.
• Combine the flour, remaining sugar, and salt in a large mixing bowl.
• Mix in the yeast mixture and then the butter.
• When everything is thoroughly combined, add the saffron mixture.
• Drain the raisins and add them.
• Mix and knead thoroughly until the dough is soft but not sticky.
• Roll it into a ball and put it in a greased bowl.
• Cover with a plastic bag and let it rise in a draft-free spot until it has doubled in bulk. This takes about 2 hours.
• Knock the dough down by thumping it firmly several times.
• Knead it for 2 or 3 minutes.
• To make a wreath shape, divide the dough into 3 pieces and roll each into a rope about 18 inches long.
• Braid the 3 ropes together and twist into a circle. (Or make hollows in the wreath so that you can stick candles in them after baking.).
• Tuck the ends underneath.
• Place on a greased baking sheet and cover with plastic wrap.
• Let rise in a draft-free spot for about an hour or until doubled in bulk.
• During the last 10 minutes of rising time, set the oven at 400°F
• Brush the bread with the egg wash.
• Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until the wreath is golden brown and sounds hollow when rapped on the bottom.