Brother Banderas Italian Easter Bread Recipes

BROTHER BANDERA'S ITALIAN EASTER BREAD

Steps:

• Place 2 1/2 cups of the flour in a mixing bowl, and mix in the yeast, salt, sugar, nutmeg, allspice and lemon peel.
• Warm the milk and butter in a saucepan to 120 degrees, stir to melt the butter and pour into the bowl with the dry ingredients. Lightly beat 3 of the eggs, add them and mix all the ingredients together. Gradually add enough of the remaining flour to make a soft dough.
• Turn the dough out onto a floured board, flatten it and knead in the fruit peel. Knead the dough about 10 minutes, adding additional flour as necessary to make a soft dough that is barely sticky.
• Lightly oil a bowl, place the dough in it, turn it, cover the bowl and set the dough aside to rise until doubled, about 1 hour.
• Punch the dough down, and divide it in four pieces. Roll each of the pieces into a tight ball and place them in an oiled 10-inch cake pan. Cover, and allow to rise in a warm place about 30 minutes.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Beat the remaining egg with 1 tablespoon of water, and brush this mixture lightly onto the dough. Place in the oven and bake about 45 minutes, until nicely browned. Allow to cool before cutting.

ITALIAN EASTER BREAD (ANISE FLAVORED)

Steps:

• Mix 1 cup of flour with sugar, salt, and yeast in a bowl, stir well. Place milk and anise extract into a small saucepan over low heat, and warm to about 110 degrees F (43 degrees C). Make a well in the center of the flour mixture with your hand, and pour in the milk mixture; swirl with your hand in a circular motion to combine the flour mixture with the milk mixture. Mix in butter and eggs, one at a time, then mix in remaining flour until dough begins to pull together.
• Turn the dough out onto a floured work surface, and knead until soft but elastic, about 8 minutes. Cover with a damp cloth, and let dough rest for 10 minutes; cut dough into halves.
• On floured work surface, roll each half into a ball, then shape the balls into 2 long pieces, about 1 1/2 inches thick and 18 to 20 inches long. Pinch the 2 top ends together, and loosely twist the pieces to form a twisted loaf; pinch the bottom ends together, and tuck the two ends underneath the loaf. (Alternately, form the twist into a ring, and pinch the ends together.)
• Grease a baking sheet, lay the loaf onto the prepared sheet, and cover with a damp towel; let rise until doubled, about 1 hour. Brush loaf with beaten egg, and sprinkle with colored decorating dragees.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Bake the decorated loaf in the preheated oven until golden, 20 to 25 minutes. Watch closely towards the end of the baking time that the bread does not begin to burn. Transfer to wire rack immediately after baking to cool.