Easter Bread Rings Recipe 455

Steps:

• Color the 5 eggs with egg dye. In a large mixing bowl, blend the white sugar, salt, and yeast well with 1 cup of the flour.
• In a saucepan, combine 2/3 cup milk and butter, heating slowly until liquid is warm and butter is melted. Pour the milk into the dry ingredients and beat 125 strokes with a wooden spoon. Add eggs and 1/2 cup flour or enough to make a thick batter. Beat vigorously for 2 minutes. Stir in enough flour to make a ball of dough that draws away from the sides of the bowl.
• Turn out onto a floured board and knead for about 10 minutes, working in additional flour to overcome stickiness. Place the dough in a greased bowl, turning to grease the top. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and put in a warm, draft-free place until doubled in bulk, about 1 hour.
• Meanwhile, combine the fruit, nuts, and anise seed.
• Punch down the dough and return it to a lightly floured board. Knead in the fruit mixture, keeping the syrupy pieces dusted with flour until they are worked into the dough. Divide the dough in half.
• Carefully roll each piece into a 24-inch rope--the fruit and nuts will make this slightly difficult. Loosely twist the two ropes together and form a ring on a greased baking sheet. Pinch the ends together well. Brush the dough with melted shortening. Push aside the twist to make a place for each egg. Push eggs down carefully as far as possible. Cover the bread with wax paper and let rise in a warm, draft-free place until doubled in bulk, about 1 hour.
• Bake the bread in a preheated 350 degree F (175 degrees C) oven for about 35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in a twist comes out clean. Place on a wire rack to cool.
• Once the bread is cool, drizzle the icing on top between the eggs, and decorate with colored sprinkles. To make icing: mix together confectioners' sugar, 1 tablespoon whole milk, and vanilla.

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.

Steps:

• In a mixing bowl add 1/2 cup flour, the yeast, and the lukewarm milk. With a whisk or a wooden spoon mix well and leave at room temperature until the yeast is proofed. With the dough hook on, start mixing on the lowest speed, slowly adding the eggs, sour cream, melted butter, orange rind, sugar and salt. Slowly add the rest of the flour, 1/4 cup at a time. When the flour is incorporated the dough will start to clean itself from the sides of the bowl, but it's still going to be quite sticky. Place the dough on a clean surface and start kneading by hand, pouring few drops of oil at a time on top of it. Knead by hand until all 3 tablespoons of oil are incorporated and the dough is soft but not sticky. Kneading by hand should take anywhere from 15 to 25 minutes. Place the dough into a clean oiled bowl, cover with plastic wrap and leave at room temperature until doubled in volume, about 1 hour and 30 minutes. When risen, take the dough out, place it on your work area, and press it lightly with your fingers until you form a sort of rectangle that is about 10x16 to 18-inches. Divide it in 12 small balls. Shape each ball into a 13 to 15-inch long rope. Take 2 ropes and braid them together, forming a ring by pinching the ends. Do the same with the remaining ropes. Place the dough rings on a baking sheet, nest a colored egg in the middle of each one, cover with plastic foil, and leave to rise for another 30 minutes. Meanwhile heat the oven to 375°F. Just before baking the rings, brush them with milk, and top with sprinkles. Careful to not wet the dyed eggs and brush away any sprinkles from the eggs. Bake for 22 minutes or until golden brown.

Steps:

• BREAD:.
• In a large bowl, combine 3 cups flour with the sugar, yeast, orange zest, and salt. Mix until well blended.
• In a saucepan, heat the milk over medium high heat until just boiling. Remove from the heat; add the shortening and stir until melted. Stir in the orange juice and vanilla. Cool to 120°F Pour the milk mixture and the beaten eggs over the flour mixture.
• Mix until a soft and sticky dough forms. Slowly stir in enough of the remaining flour to make a soft dough. Knead for 8-10 minutes. Place in a lightly greased bowl, cover with plstic wrap and place in a warm draft free spot and let rise 1 1/2 to 2 hours. Punch down dough, cover with plastic and refrigerate overnight.
• Grease or line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Remove the dough from the refrigerator; punch it down. Divide dough in half. On a floured surface, roll each piece into a rope, about 24-inches long. Twist the ropes together; place the dough on prepared baking sheet. joining the ends together to form a ring shape.
• Push the hard boiled eggs, on their sides, between the spaces in the twisted rope around ring. Cover bread with a piece of lightly greased plastic wrap. Let rise until doubled in size, about 1 1/2 -2 hours.
• Heat oven to 350°F Place the bread in the oven and bake for 5 minutes. Bat egg with 1 tablespoons milk. Brush bread with egg wash; return to oven and bake for 25-30 minutes, until golden brown. Cool on wire rack.
• GARNISH:.
• Place a few drops of liquid food coloring in a small dish. Using a cotton swab or small paint brush, carefully color each dyed egg. Let dry fully before drizzling on Orange Glaze.
• ORANGE GLAZE:.
• In a small bowl, combine glaze ingredients: stir until smooth. Drizzle over cooled bread.