Lemon Easter Bread Recipes

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Grease and flour 2 loaf pans.
• Combine the flour, baking powder, and salt and set aside.
• Beat the butter and 2 1/2 cups sugar with an electric mixer in a large bowl until light and fluffy. The mixture should be noticeably lighter in color. Add the room-temperature eggs one at a time, allowing each egg to blend into the butter mixture before adding the next. Beat in the almond extract with the last egg.
• Pour in the flour mixture alternately with the milk, mixing until just incorporated. Fold in the lemon zest and chopped walnuts, mixing just enough to evenly combine. Pour the batter into the prepared pans.
• Bake in the preheated oven until the loaves are very lightly browned and a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean, 60 to 70 minutes.
• Mix the lemon juice with the 1/2 cup sugar in a bowl until the sugar has dissolved. Pour the lemon glaze over the hot cakes; allow to stand for 10 minutes before removing cakes from the pans. Cool before serving.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°. In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy, 5-7 minutes. Beat in eggs, lemon zest and juice. Combine flour, baking powder and salt; gradually stir into creamed mixture alternately with milk, beating well after each addition. , Pour into a greased 8x4-in. loaf pan. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 40-45 minutes. Cool in pan 15 minutes before removing to a wire rack. Combine glaze ingredients; immediately drizzle over bread. Serve warm.

Steps:

• Pour both amounts of warm water into a bread machine and add butter, eggs, lemon extract, bread flour, sugar, and yeast in the order recommended by the manufacturer. Select dough setting and start the machine.
• Grease 3 8-inch round cake pans.
• Remove dough when cycle is finished; cut dough into 3 equal-sized pieces. Roll each piece into a ball and place into a prepared cake pan; cover and let rise for 1 hour.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Bake loaves in the preheated oven until lightly browned, 15 to 20 minutes.

Steps:

• Make the sponge: Put 1 cup milk in a medium bowl, add yeast and let dissolve. Whisk in 1 cup (125 grams) all-purpose flour. Cover bowl and leave in a warm place until doubled in size and very frothy, about 30 minutes.
• Put currants, raisins, cranberries and apricots in a small bowl and cover with hot water. Leave 10 minutes, then drain. Return to bowl and stir in rum.
• Beat 2 eggs and 2 of the yolks. Add the beaten eggs, melted butter and almond extract to sponge and stir together. Stir in dried fruit.
• In a large bowl mix together 4 cups (500 grams) all-purpose flour, salt, sugar, anise seeds, cardamom, orange zest, lemon zest and almonds. Pour sponge mixture over flour mixture and combine, stirring with a spoon or hands until it forms a shaggy, slightly sticky mass. Dust lightly with flour and turn dough out onto a clean work surface. Knead for a few minutes until smooth, dusting with a minimal amount of flour if necessary, to make a soft dough. (If desired, dough may be refrigerated overnight in a large zippered storage bag. Bring to room temperature and proceed with recipe.)
• Put dough in a large bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 45 minutes. Punch down dough and knead lightly. Divide dough in half with knife and form two loaves; they can be round, braided or free-form. Place side by side on a large parchment-lined baking sheet, leaving a 4-inch space between them (or use 2 smaller baking sheets). Cover lightly with plastic wrap or a damp tea towel and let rise until doubled, about 30 minutes. Meanwhile, place a rack in the middle of the oven, and heat oven to 350 degrees.
• Make the egg wash: with a fork, beat together the remaining egg yolk and the milk. Uncover loaves and brush generously with egg wash. Sprinkle each loaf with 2 tablespoons sugar (or 1 tablespoon pearl sugar), if desired. Bake on middle rack for 45 minutes or until loaves are a dark, glossy brown. Transfer to a cooling rack and let cool completely.

Steps:

• Combine warm water and yeast in a medium bowl. Let stand for 5 minutes.
• Stir in 1 cup flour. Cover the bowl and let rise in a warm place for 30 minutes.
• Meanwhile, beat butter in a large bowl until soft. Gradually add 1/2 cup sugar and blend until light and creamy. Beat in eggs, one at a time. Mix in lemon zest and salt. Beat in flour-yeast mixture that was resting, along with raisins.
• Gradually add remaining 3 1/2 cups flour, then beat dough for 5 minutes. Cover the bowl with a clean cloth and let rise in a warm place until almost doubled, about 2 hours.
• Generously grease two 9-inch tube pans. Punch down the risen dough and divide it in half. Place each half in a prepared tube pan and let rise until puffy, about 30 minutes.
• Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Combine almonds and remaining 1/4 cup sugar in a small bowl.
• Lightly brush the tops of the panettone with melted butter and sprinkle almond-sugar mixture over top.
• Bake in the preheated oven until golden, about 30 minutes.
• While the panettone are baking, beat powdered sugar, lemon juice, and vanilla extract in a bowl until smooth. Spread glaze on the warm panettone.