Babees Easter Bread Epicurious Recipes

Steps:

• Dissolve the yeast in the warmed milk. Cover and set aside in a warm place to rise for 15 minutes.
• In the bowl of an electric mixer, using the paddle attachment, mix together the flour, salt, and melted butter. Add the anise, orange juice, zest, and water. Mix together.
• Add the eggs one at a time, and mix. Then add the mastic, sugar, and the risen yeast mixture. Mix together.
• Using the dough hook attachment of your electric mixer (or your hands), knead the mixture for approximately 10 minutes. Cover the bowl and allow to rise in a warm place (e.g., an oven heated to 200°F) until the dough doubles in size, approximately 2 hours.
• Remove the dough from the bowl and beat it down to deflate it. Then, separate the dough into three pieces and roll out each piece lengthwise about one foot long. Braid the three pieces together.
• Place the dough in a greased large loaf pan (5x10-inch pan recommended-or you can use a greased cookie sheet). Place back in warm oven and allow the dough to double in size again, approximately an hour.
• Brush with egg wash using a pastry brush and sprinkle sesame seeds on top.
• Preheat the oven to 350°F, then bake the bread for approximately 30 minutes, or until the top turns a golden brown.

Steps:

• Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper. Butter paper.
• For 1 doll, use 1 ball of dough:
• Cut off 1/3 of ball. From smaller piece, pinch off golf-ball-sized piece. On lightly floured surface, roll largest piece of dough into 20-inch-long rope. Roll medium-sized piece into 10-inch-long rope. Divide smallest piece into 2 pieces and roll each into thin 5-inch-long rope.
• On floured surface, form longest rope into inverted "U" shape. Arrange medium-sized rope with 1 end intersecting top center of "U," to form 3 strands of equal length. Gently press where ropes intersect to adhere.
• Gently braid strands, tucking last inch under to form round bottom. Gently press 1 dyed egg into braid about 1 inch from top. Using remaining 2 thin ropes, form cross over egg, pressing ends to adhere to body of doll. Using tines of fork, make 4 crimps on bottom of doll to form "feet." Using spatula or bench scraper, carefully transfer doll to baking sheet, leaving room for second doll alongside.
• Repeat entire process with remaining 2 balls of dough to make 2 more dolls, arranging third doll by itself on 2nd baking sheet. Loosely cover dolls with buttered plastic wrap. Let rise in warm, draft-free place until doubled in bulk, about 45 minutes to 1 hour.
• Preheat oven to 325°F. Bake dolls 35 minutes. In small bowl, whisk together egg, sugar, and 2 tablespoons water until sugar is dissolved. Brush dolls with egg mixture and bake until very deep golden brown and knife inserted into center comes out clean, about 10 minutes more. Transfer to wire rack and cool completely. (Dolls will keep, wrapped well in plastic wrap, 1 week at room temperature or 6 to 8 weeks frozen.)

Steps:

• Dissolve yeast and 1/2 teaspoon white sugar in warm water in a large bowl. Let stand until the yeast softens and begins to form a creamy foam, about 10 minutes.
• Whisk 3/4 cup white sugar, eggs, oil, anise extract, lemon zest, lemon extract, salt, and anise seed together in a bowl.
• Pour egg mixture, melted butter, and 1/4 cup milk into yeast mixture and stir to combine. Add 4 cups flour, 1 cup at time, stirring after each addition.
• Turn dough out onto a floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic, adding remaining 1/2 cup flour as necessary, 5 to 6 minutes.
• Coat a large bowl with oil. Place dough in bowl and turn to coat. Place a damp cloth over the bowl, place bowl in the oven with the oven light on, and let rise until doubled in size, 12 hours or overnight.
• Line 2 baking sheets with silicone baking mats or parchment paper.
• Punch dough down and divide into four equal portions. Divide each portion into three ropes. Braid each set of three dough ropes to form four small braided loaves.
• Transfer loaves to prepared baking sheets, 2 per sheet, and let rise until doubled in size, about 2 hours.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Bake bread in the preheated oven until the tops are golden and the bottom of the loaves sound hollow when tapped, 20 to 25 minutes.
• To make icing, combine powdered sugar, lemon juice, grated lemon zest, 1 tablespoon milk and food coloring. Stir until smooth.
• Glaze loaves on a cooling rack with a sheet pan or foil underneath to catch the drips.

Steps:

• Mix together 1 teaspoon sugar, yeast and warm water.
• Let this proof for 10 minutes.
• Mix together the eggs, 1/2 cup sugar, butter, salt, 2 cups of flour, orange zest and extract.
• Beat until blended well.
• Add yeast mixture and 3 more cups of flour and mix well.
• Use dough hook to add the remaining 1/2 cup flour. This also can be done by kneading it into the dough.
• Even if using the dough hook on a Kitchen Aid mixer, dump dough out onto a lightly floured board and knead until smooth.
• Place into a well buttered bowl.
• Turn once, cover and let rise for 2 hours or until doubled in size.
• Punch dough down.
• The dough can be now shaped into several ways.
• For a wreath, cut dough into 3 pieces. Make a loose braid. Place on a greased cookie sheet.
• Form into a circle to create the wreath. Pinch the ends together.
• For a double braided loaf, cut dough in half.
• Take one half and cut off 1/4 of the dough. Set this aside.
• Cut the larger piece into 3 pieces. Braid the loaf normally from the middle.
• Turn and braid the other side going under this time. Then repeat for with the smaller piece. Place onto of larger loaf and pinch to secure it.
• If you braid normally from one side to the other, the bread will be very thick on one end.
• You can also use loaf pans.
• Bake in a 350 degrees until golden. Approximately 30 minutes
• If a darker golden color is desired, you can brush with an egg was before baking.
• The bread is done when it is golden and lightly brown on the bottom.
• The bread will sound hollow when patted on the bottom.
• Make a glaze with 10x and water. Not too thin. Sprinkle with non parallels