Recipe

Easter Bread Recipe

Add Step-by-Step Photos	Unswissmiss / All my dishes 2 years, 7 months ago This is a wonderfully rich and tender holiday bread from Italy. Though it's somewhat time consuming to make and requires an overnight rise, the recipe has a large yield (3-4 loaves) and is a great hostess gift. Adapted from Bon Apetit. Prep:60m Cook:45m Servings:4	Unswissmiss
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Ingredients

Step 1 (Starter)

3 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon cool water

1/4 teaspoon sugar

8 grams fresh yeast (half a cake)

7 tablespoons unbleached all purpose flour

Step 2

2/3 cup unbleached all purpose flour

4 large egg yolks

3 tablespoons cool water

2 teaspoons sugar

Step 3

6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature (very soft), cut into 6 pieces

5 tablespoons sugar

2 large egg yolks

2 tablespoons lukewarm whole milk

1 tablespoon honey

2 1/4 cups unbleached all purpose flour

Step 4

1/2 cup cool water

8 grams fresh yeast (half a cake)

2 cups unbleached all purpose flour

1/2 cup (1 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature (very soft), cut into 6 pieces

6 tablespoons sugar

4 large egg yolks

3 tablespoons lukewarm whole milk

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 1/2 teaspoons fine sea salt

zest of 2 large oranges

1 tablespoon honey

Step 5

1/2 cup (about) all purpose flour

3-4 nonstick loaf pans

Step 6 (Glaze and baking)

1 cup sugar

1/2 cup whole unblanched almonds

3 large egg whites

1/4 teaspoon almond extract

1 1/3 cups sliced almonds

Powdered sugar

Directions

For step 1 (Making starter):

Combine water and sugar in bowl of heavy-duty mixer.

Crumble in yeast and stir with a rubber spatula until dissolved.

Using spatula, mix in flour (dough will be firm).

Cover bowl with plastic wrap. Let starter rise until puffy, about 45 minutes. (Initially, the starter, or biga is firm and compact, but it softens and becomes puffy and spongy after rising.)

For step 2:

Attach dough hook to mixer.

Add all ingredients in step 2 to starter.

Beat until blended, scraping down sides of bowl often, about 5 minutes (dough will be soft and thick).

Scrape dough off hook; remove hook.

Cover bowl with plastic. Let dough rise at room temperature until puffy and bubbly on top, about 1 hour. The dough will look thick, shiny, and slightly puffed.

For step 3:

Reattach clean dough hook.

Add first 5 ingredients in step 3 to dough; beat until blended.

Add flour. Beat at low speed until smooth, scraping down bowl and hook often, about 5 minutes (dough will be firm and compact).

Scrape dough off hook; remove hook.

Cover bowl with plastic; let dough rise at room temperature until lighter in texture and slightly puffed, about 2-2 1/2 hours. The dough will double in volume and become lighter in texture but less glossy.

For step 4:

Reattach clean dough hook.

Mix orange peel and honey. Set aside.

Mix water and yeast in small cup. Add to dough.

Add 1 1/3 cups flour, butter, sugar, and 2 yolks; beat until dough is smooth, about 3 minutes.

Scrape down dough hook and sides of bowl.

Add remaining 2 yolks, milk, vanilla extract, and salt. Beat at low speed until blended, about 3 minutes.

Scrape down hook.

Add remaining 2/3 cup flour and orange peel mix.

Beat dough until well blended, about 5 minutes.

Scrape dough into very large (at least 4-quart) buttered bowl. Cover with plastic. Let dough rise at room temperature until doubled and indentation remains when 2 fingers are pressed about 1/4 inch into dough, 8 to 10 hours.

For step 5:

Butter and flour each loaf pan.

Sprinkle 1/2 cup flour onto work surface.

Scrape dough out onto floured work surface (dough will be soft and sticky). Gently toss dough in flour until easy to handle. Brush away excess flour.

Divide dough into 4 equal pieces.

Shape each piece into a log approximately the same size as the loaf pans. Carefully transfer one piece of dough into each pan and cover with plastic wrap.

Let stand at room temperature until dough rises to top of each pan and indentation remains when 2 fingers are pressed about 1/4 inch into dough, about 3 hours.

For step 6 (Glaze and baking):

Position rack in bottom third of oven and preheat to 375°F.

Finely grind sugar and whole almonds in processor.

Add egg whites and almond extract; blend 10 seconds.

Peel plastic off dough.

Spoon a quarter of almond glaze over top of each.

Sprinkle each with sliced almonds.

Sift powdered sugar over. Slide pans directly onto oven rack; slide rimless baking sheet under pans.

Bake breads until brown on top and slender wooden skewer inserted into center comes out clean, about 35 minutes.

Cool breads completely on rack. (Can be made ahead. Wrap; let stand at room temperature up to 2 days or freeze up to 1 week.)

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