BROTHER BANDERA'S ITALIAN EASTER BREAD

Brother Bandera's Italian Easter Bread image

Provided by Florence Fabricant

Time 2h45m

Yield 1 loaf of 12 servings

Number Of Ingredients 12

Ingredients

4 1/2 cups flour (approximately)
1 package active dry yeast
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg, preferably freshly ground
1/4 teaspoon allspice
1/2 teaspoon grated lemon peel
2/3 cup skim milk
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, in pieces
4 eggs
1/3 cup chopped candied fruit peel
Oil for bowl and pan

Steps:

Place 2 1/2 cups of the flour in a mixing bowl, and mix in the yeast, salt, sugar, nutmeg, allspice and lemon peel.
Warm the milk and butter in a saucepan to 120 degrees, stir to melt the butter and pour into the bowl with the dry ingredients. Lightly beat 3 of the eggs, add them and mix all the ingredients together. Gradually add enough of the remaining flour to make a soft dough.
Turn the dough out onto a floured board, flatten it and knead in the fruit peel. Knead the dough about 10 minutes, adding additional flour as necessary to make a soft dough that is barely sticky.
Lightly oil a bowl, place the dough in it, turn it, cover the bowl and set the dough aside to rise until doubled, about 1 hour.
Punch the dough down, and divide it in four pieces. Roll each of the pieces into a tight ball and place them in an oiled 10-inch cake pan. Cover, and allow to rise in a warm place about 30 minutes.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Beat the remaining egg with 1 tablespoon of water, and brush this mixture lightly onto the dough. Place in the oven and bake about 45 minutes, until nicely browned. Allow to cool before cutting.

Nutrition Facts : @context http, Calories 296, UnsaturatedFat 3 grams, Carbohydrate 51 grams, Fat 6 grams, Fiber 2 grams, Protein 8 grams, SaturatedFat 3 grams, Sodium 227 milligrams, Sugar 14 grams, TransFat 0 grams