Easter Baskets Bread Recipes

BRAIDED EASTER EGG BREAD

Steps:

• In a large bowl, combine 1 cup flour, sugar, salt and yeast; stir well. Combine milk and butter in a small saucepan; heat until milk is warm and butter is softened but not melted.
• Gradually add the milk and butter to the flour mixture; stirring constantly. Add two eggs and 1/2 cup flour; beat well. Add the remaining flour, 1/2 cup at a time, stirring well after each addition. When the dough has pulled together, turn it out onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic, about 8 minutes.
• Lightly oil a large bowl, place the dough in the bowl and turn to coat with oil. Cover with a damp cloth and let rise in a warm place until doubled in volume, about 1 hour.
• Deflate the dough and turn it out onto a lightly floured surface. Divide the dough into two equal size rounds; cover and let rest for 10 minutes. Roll each round into a long roll about 36 inches long and 1 1/2 inches thick. Using the two long pieces of dough, form a loosely braided ring, leaving spaces for the five colored eggs. Seal the ends of the ring together and use your fingers to slide the eggs between the braids of dough.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Place loaf on a buttered baking sheet and cover loosely with a damp towel. Place loaf in a warm place and let rise until doubled in bulk, about 45 minutes. Brush risen loaf with melted butter.
• Bake in the preheated oven until golden brown, about 30 minutes.

EASTER "EGG" BREAD

Steps:

• In a large bowl, mix together 1 cup flour, sugar, salt and yeast.
• Heat butter and milk to 125°-130°F.
• With mixer on low, beat warm liquid into flour mixture until well blended.
• Increase speed to medium and continue beating for 2 minutes.
• Beat in 2 eggs, 1 egg white and 1/2 cup flour.
• Continue beating for 2 more minutes.
• By hand, stir in lemon peel and 1 to 1 1/4 cups flour.
• Place dough on a lightly floured board, and knead for about 5 minutes adding about 1/2 to 1 cup flour while kneading.
• Shape dough into a ball and place in a well greased (buttered) bowl, turn dough to grease the top.
• Cover and let rise in a warm draft free place until doubled (about 1 1/2 hours).
• Punch down dough, turn on to a lightly floured board, divide dough in half and allow it to rest for 15 minutes.
• Grease a large round pizza pan or cookie sheet.
• To shape the dough into ropes without stretching it, hold a dough half in both hands and gently"shake" it (don't pull it) into a rope.
• Place the ropes of dough side by side on the pan and turning the pan as you work, loosely twist the ropes into a ring forming 5"nests" for the colored eggs.
• Cover, and let rise again until doubled (about 1 1/2 hours).
• Preheat oven to 350°F.
• Carefully insert the raw colored eggs into the"nests" by gently spreading the dough apart to make space (its best not to let the raw eggs touch the pan, it causes them to crack).
• Beat the egg yolk with 1 teaspoon water and brush dough with egg wash.
• Bake bread about 30 minutes or until deep golden brown.
• Carefully slide bread off the pan on to a wire rack, and let cool.
• Note: The colored raw eggs end up being"hard cooked.
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UKRAINIAN EASTER PASKA

Steps:

• Cover the pan with greased plastic wrap and let rise until almost doubled.
• Bake 15 minutes. Reduce temperature to 350 F and bake an additional 40 minutes, or until an instant-read thermometer registers 190 F. If necessary, cover the top of the bread with aluminum foil to prevent over-browning.

EASTER "BASKETS" BREAD

Steps:

• In a large bowl throughly mix 2 cups flour, sugar, salt and undissolved Fleischmann's Active Dry Yeast.
• Combine milk, water and Fleischmann's Margarine in a saucepan.
• Heat over low heat until liquids are very warm (120 F- 130 F).
• Margarine does not need to melt.
• Gradually add liquids to dry ingredients and beat 2 minutes at medium speed of electric mixer, scraping bowl occasionally.
• Add 3 eggs and 3/4 cup flour.
• Beat at high speed 2 minutes, scraping bowl occasionally.
• Stir in enough additional flour to make a soft dough.
• Turn out onto lightly floured board; knead until smooth and elastic, about 8 to 10 minutes.
• Place in greased bowl, turning to grease top.
• Cover; let rise in warm place, free from draft, until doubled in bulk, about 1 hour.
• Punch dough down; turn out onto lightly floured board.
• Divide dough into 8 equal pieces.
• Take about 1/4 of each piece and set aside.
• Shape larger pieces into round balls.
• On greased baking sheets, press large pieces of dough down into circles, about 1/2 inch thick.
• Place a hard-cooked egg in center of each.
• Divide each of the remaining 8 pieces of dough in half.
• Shape each into 2 ropes, cross in an"X" over each egg and tuck underneath dough.
• Cover; let rise.
• Keep free from draft, until doubled in bulk.
• Sprinkle"baskets" with colored nonpareils.
• Bake at 350 F degrees for 20 to 25 minutes.
• Remove from baking sheets and serve cooled with whipped butter or jelly.