ITALIAN EASTER BREAD-AN EASTER WREATH BREAD

I’m not an expert at dying Easter eggs by any means. I know how to do the basic colors and love to see them nestled in my Easter breads.

I wish I could do some fun tie-dye versions and I also wish I had the time to make my own natural dyes.I realized this year I never died red eggs for a bread before. I really wanted to make the Greek Tsoureki for Easter. I thought I was having a fine time getting my eggs red. I let the eggs sit in the deep red dye for what seemed hours. The eggs sat and sat and then I started my dough. I checked them and turned them and the water seemed bright red but the eggs never progressed past this gorgeous hot pink color.

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 cup milk
• 2 packets active dry yeast (two 1/4 ounce envelopes)
• 4 eggs, room temperature
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1/2 cup sugar 
• 4 1/2 cup unbleached all-purpose flour (may need more as mixing) 
• 1 Tbsp. lemon zest 
• 1 tsp kosher salt 
• 8 Tbsp. butter, room temperature (cut into 1 inch pieces)
• 4-6 dyed eggs

Egg wash

• 1 egg 
• 1 tablespoon water

Directions:

1. If you are adding colored eggs, now is the time to color them. Follow the dye directions on the box or use natural dye and let the eggs sit for an hour. The longer they site the more vibrant the color.
2. In a small saucepan heat the milk over medium to 110 F (I just test the water with my finger and know it’s the right temperature…warm like the temperature of a baby bottle, not hot). Add the yeast to a small bowl with the warm milk and whisk it around with 1 tablespoon of the sugar. Let sit until foamy (about 5 minutes).

Whisk in the eggs and vanilla and set aside.

1. In a large bowl whisk together the rest of the sugar, flour, lemon zest, and salt.
2. Pour the flour mixture in the bowl of a mixer. With dough hook attached and mixer on medium speed, slowly add the milk mixture (*the milk mixture has the milk, yeast, 1 tbsp sugar, eggs, vanilla) to the flour mixture.
3. Hold onto your mixer! Now you will add the butter 1 tablespoon at a time. I tell you to hold unto it because it will move around if you are mixing it on too fast of a speed. Start on medium-low speed. If you notice the mixer moving too much, you can lower the speed and let the butter get gently incorporated into the dough. If you have the mixture at a faster speed at this point…do not leave it alone while it’s mixing. It could bounce off the counter.
4. Be sure to mix well when all the butter is added (about 3-5 minutes). You may need to add more flour. Don’t worry about the total amount of flour, keep adding until your dough is stiff and it is not sticky. 
5. Put a little flour onto a clean counter and scrape the dough out of mixer onto the counter. Knead the dough a little and shape the dough into a ball (you won’t be kneading the dough too much…just a bit to shape it into an elastic ball of dough).
6. Oil a large mixing bowl and place the dough into the bowl.
7. Rub a little oil on top of the dough and cover it to rest in a draft-free area for a bout 1-1 1/2 hours.
8. Read more please visit : www.savoringitaly.com

Share this post