Easter BBBabes

In this month we had the Easter time and very appropriate our Canadian Babe Elle ("Feeding my enthusiasms") chose a festive sweet bread for us to bake this month. I personally love these types of bread and it turned out very delicious. Thanks for this yummy recipe Elle!

I made some minor changes here and there, so the recipe below might be a little different than on the other Babe-Blogs. It was a slow riser this bread, but once in the oven it had nothing on its mind than "Spring" and very to the point this month. Ovenspring that is, the braid tore side ways in the middle which I cunningly hid under some icing sugar. 

The extreme ovenrise also resulted in a loose bread where the filling is, but the taste was just delicious! And you don't need to wait for next year's Easter either. Just bake along and become our Bread Baking Buddy. Send your results and details to Elle, she'll send you a Bread Baking Buddy Badge to add to your post (if you like) and you'll be part of the round up later too. So get your apron on and start kneading! Deadline 29th of this month.

Romanian Easter Braid

makes one loaf

(PRINT recipe)

500 g flour

1,5 tsp active dry yeast

1/2 tsp grated lemon zest (or use orange zest)

150 g milk

60 g unsalted butter

50 g sugar

1 tsp salt

2 eggs

Filling:

70 g water

130 g soft brown sugar

200 g finely ground almonds (or walnuts, poppy seeds, etc)

1/2 tsp grated lemon zest (or use orange zest or 5 drops Fior di Sicilia)

1 tsp cinnamon

Glaze: 1 egg beaten with 2 Tbsp milk (optional: icing sugar with a little lemon juice to drizzle over after it has cooled and/or a dusting of icing sugar)

Combine 500 g flour, yeast and lemon zest in mixing bowl.

Heat milk, butter, sugar and salt until butter melts; remove from heat and let cool until it reaches 40º C. Add milk mixture add eggs to dry ingredients. Mix thoroughly. Knead on lightly floured surface until smooth - about 10 minutes. Place in greased bowl, turning to coat top. Cover; let rise in warm place until double - about 1 hour.

Punch down dough. Divide dough into 3 equal pieces. Roll each into a 18 x 40 cm rectangle.

Use 1/3 of filling one each rectangle, spreading filling, but leaving a margin around edges; roll up jelly-roll style. Seal seam and ends. You will have three filled and sealed ropes. Braid ropes and place on a baking sheet with baking parchmen). Cover with lightly greased plastic foil and let rise in warm place until doubled - about 30 minutes.

Make glaze and brush on the loaf. Bake in a preheated 180ºC oven for 40 minutes or until done. Cool on wire rack.

(adapted from: “The Festive Bread Book” -  Kathy Cutler)

Lien