Sweet Easter Egg Bread

For a wonderful treat on Easter Morning, bake this bread the day before!

10 eggs
1 packet active dry yeast
1/4 cup warm water
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup melted butter
4 cups all purpose-flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground cardamom

1. Boil six of the eggs, cool and set aside

2. In a large bowl, combine the yeast and the warm water. Let sit for 5 minutes.

3. Meanwhile, melt the butter. Add the sugar and three of the eggs into the melted butter.

4. Add the sugar and three of the eggs to the melted butter. Mix thoroughly

5. Set the remaining egg aside to use as a wash for the bread before baking.

6. Add the butter, egg, sugar mix to the yeast and stir to combine.

7. Add salt, cardamom and the flour, 1 cup at a time, to the liquid to form a soft but not sticky dough

8. Turn out onto a floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic (7-10 minutes)

9. Place the dough into a lightly greased bowl, turning once to grease all sides of the dough.

10. Cover with a tea towel and let rise in a warm spot for 90 minutes. (Use your oven’s “proof” setting if you have one.)

11. At the end of 90 minutes, or when the dough has doubled, remove it from the oven and divide into three equal portions.

12. Roll each of the portions into a long thick log.

13. Braid the three strands, closing the edges together to create a ring. Place the ring onto a parchment lined cooking sheet.

14. Pry open the braid to equally space the six cooked eggs into the braided ring around its circumference.

15. With a fork, beat the remaining egg with 1 tsp water to create an egg wash.

16. Use a pastry brush or your fingertips to pain the wash onto the ring. Sprinkle lightly with sugar.

17. Return the pan to the oven or counter for the second rising. Let rise about 45 minutes, or until doubled in size.

18. Meanwhile preheat the oven to 350 F.

19. Bake at 350 for 25-30 minutes, or until the bread is golden brown.

20. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Servings: 12
Yield: 1 large braided ring

Cooking Times
Preparation Time: 20 minutes
Cooking Time: 30 minutes
Inactive Time: 3 hours and 15 minutes
Total Time: 4 hours and 5 minutes

Oven Temperature: 350°F

Nutrition Facts
Serving size: 1/12 of a recipe (3.6 ounces).
Percent daily values based on the Reference Daily Intake (RDI) for a 2000 calorie diet.
Nutrition information calculated from recipe ingredients.