Italian Easter Bread

Total Time: 3 hrs 40 mins Preparation Time: 3 hrs Cook Time: 40 mins

Ingredients

• Servings: 4
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 ounce dry yeast
• 2/3 cup milk
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 2 eggs, at room temperature
• 1/2 cup mixed candied fruit
• 1/3 cup almonds
• 1/2 teaspoon anise seed
• 5 eggs
• 1 cup confectioners' sugar
• 1 tablespoon milk
• 1/8 teaspoon vanilla

Recipe

• 1 colored sprinkles in a large mixing bowl, blend the sugar, salt, and yeast well with 1 cup of the flour.
• 2 in a saucepan, combine milk and butter, heating slowly until liquid is warm and butter is melted.
• 3 pour the milk into the dry ingredients and beat 125 strokes with a wooden spoon.
• 4 add eggs and 1/2 cup flour or enough to make a thick batter.
• 5 beat vigorously for 2 minutes.
• 6 then stir in enough flour to make a ball of dough that draws away from the sides of the bowl.
• 7 turn out onto a floured board and knead for about 10 minutes, working in additional flour to overcome stickiness.
• 8 place the dough in a greased bowl, turning to grease the top.
• 9 cover tightly with plastic wrap and put in a warm, draft-free place until doubled in bulk about 1 hour.
• 10 meanwhile, combine the fruit,nuts, and anise seed.
• 11 punch down the dough and return it to a lightly floured board.
• 12 knead in the fruit mixture, keeping the syrupy pieces dusted with flour until they are worked into the dough.
• 13 divide the dough in half.
• 14 carefully roll each piece into a 24 inch rope - the fruit and nuts will make this slightly difficult.
• 15 loosely twist the two ropes together and form a ring on a greased baking sheet.
• 16 pinch the ends together well.
• 17 brush the dough with melted shortening.
• 18 push aside the twist to make a place for each egg.
• 19 push eggs down carefully as far as possible.
• 20 cover the bread with wax paper and let rise in a warm,draft-free place until double in bulk, about 1 hour.
• 21 bake the bread in a preheated 350 f oven for about 35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in a twist comes out clean.
• 22 place on a wire rack to cool.
• 23 once the bread is cool, drizzle the icing on top between the eggs, and decorate with colored sprinkles.
• 24 makes 1 loaf.