Easter Sweet Bread

While preparing my plans for Holy Week, I realized I had taken multiple pictures last year of my Easter Bread and then didn't post anything! This is cross-posted with my food blog, Family Food in Feast and Feria.

My husband requests annually a Paska Cheese Mold. To accompany the sweet cheese spread I made Easter Sweet Bread from Cooking for Christ by Florence Berger. Although published originally in 1949, this recipe is foolproof and delicious!

Easter Sweet Bread

2 cakes yeast
1 tablespoon sugar
1 cup lukewarm water
6 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup sugar
3 egg yolks
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup scalded and cooled milk
7 cups sifted flour
Melted butter
Sugar
Raisins
Cinnamon
Nuts
1 beaten egg
Milk
Confectioners' sugar icing

Dissolve yeast and one tablespoon sugar in water.

Cream butter, one-half cup sugar. Add eggs. Stir in yeast mixture and salt. Alternate milk and flour until the dough is moderately soft.Knead until smooth. Cover and let rise until double in bulk.

Roll out in oblong strip one-fourth inch thick. Brush with melted butter. Sprinkle with sugar, raisins, cinnamon and nuts. Roll up length-wise.

Place in circle on greased cookie sheet. Cut three-fourths inch slices almost through roll with scissors. Turn each slice partly on its side — pointing away from the center. Cover and let the bread rise again until double in bulk.

Brush on beaten egg diluted with milk. Bake in moderate oven (350º) for 30 minutes. While still hot, frost with confectioners' sugar icing and sprinkle with nuts.

This makes a large amount of dough. Kneading is very therapeutic.

Letting the dough rise has been my difficulty over the years. My kitchen is drafty. But I have a new oven with a "proof" setting. We'll see if that improves the rise. Usually I have to allow double the usual rising time.

 

I get sad when I bake breads or other wheat containing foods, because my oldest can't help without having an allergic reaction. I usually have to mix when he's in bed, because the airborne flour makes him miserable.

But my youngest son has no allergies, so he's excited and willing to help. As long as it's not too messy for him. He doesn't like sticky hands.

Rolling out the dough. I should have measured, but I think this is around 22" x 36".

 

Brush with melted butter. Sprinkle with sugar, cinnamon, raisins and chopped nuts. Roll and pinch closed. Then join in a ring.

Place the ring on greased cookie sheet. Cut three-fourths inch slices almost through roll with scissors. Turn each slice partly on its side — pointing away from the center. Cover and let the bread rise again until double in bulk.

This sounds complicated, but really not that difficult, and it looks beautiful!

Brush on beaten egg diluted with milk. Bake in moderate oven (350º) for 30 minutes.

While still hot, frost with confectioners' sugar icing and sprinkle with nuts. Delicious! the photos don't do it justice.

Serve warmed or room temperature for Easter breakfast slathered with Paska or sweet butter and Easter hardboiled eggs.