Grandma Nardis Italian Easter Bread Food

ITALIAN FLATBREADS

Steps:

• In a small bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water. In a large bowl, combine 1/4 cup oil, sugar, salt, yeast mixture and 2 cups flour; beat on medium speed until smooth. Stir in enough remaining flour to form a soft dough., Turn dough onto a floured surface; knead until smooth and elastic, about 5 minutes. Place in a greased bowl, turning once to grease the top. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 40 minutes., Punch dough down. Turn onto a lightly floured surface; divide in half. Pat each piece flat. Let rest 5 minutes. Roll out each portion into an 11-in. circle; place on greased baking sheets. Cover with kitchen towels; let rise in a warm place until almost doubled, about 40 minutes., Preheat oven to 425°. Using the end of a wooden spoon handle, make several 1/4-in. indentations. Brush with remaining oil. In a small bowl, combine cheese, garlic salt and rosemary; sprinkle over dough. Bake 12-15 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from pans to wire racks to cool. Cut into wedges.

ITALIAN EASTER BREAD (ANISE FLAVORED)

Steps:

• Mix 1 cup of flour with sugar, salt, and yeast in a bowl, stir well. Place milk and anise extract into a small saucepan over low heat, and warm to about 110 degrees F (43 degrees C). Make a well in the center of the flour mixture with your hand, and pour in the milk mixture; swirl with your hand in a circular motion to combine the flour mixture with the milk mixture. Mix in butter and eggs, one at a time, then mix in remaining flour until dough begins to pull together.
• Turn the dough out onto a floured work surface, and knead until soft but elastic, about 8 minutes. Cover with a damp cloth, and let dough rest for 10 minutes; cut dough into halves.
• On floured work surface, roll each half into a ball, then shape the balls into 2 long pieces, about 1 1/2 inches thick and 18 to 20 inches long. Pinch the 2 top ends together, and loosely twist the pieces to form a twisted loaf; pinch the bottom ends together, and tuck the two ends underneath the loaf. (Alternately, form the twist into a ring, and pinch the ends together.)
• Grease a baking sheet, lay the loaf onto the prepared sheet, and cover with a damp towel; let rise until doubled, about 1 hour. Brush loaf with beaten egg, and sprinkle with colored decorating dragees.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Bake the decorated loaf in the preheated oven until golden, 20 to 25 minutes. Watch closely towards the end of the baking time that the bread does not begin to burn. Transfer to wire rack immediately after baking to cool.

GRANDMA NARDI'S ITALIAN EASTER BREAD

Steps:

• Place 3 eggs in a single layer in a small saucepan; add enough cold water to cover by 1 in. Cover and quickly bring to a boil. Remove from heat. Let stand 15 minutes., Rinse eggs in cold water and place in ice water until completely cooled. Drain; dye hard-boiled eggs with food coloring, following package directions. Let stand until completely dry., In bread machine pan, place the first 7 bread ingredients in order suggested by manufacturer. Select dough setting. Check dough after 5 minutes of mixing; add 1-2 tablespoons additional milk or flour if needed., When cycle is completed, turn dough onto a lightly floured surface. Punch down dough; divide into thirds. Roll each into a 15-in. rope. Place ropes on a greased baking sheet and braid. Shape into a ring. Pinch ends to seal. Lightly coat dyed eggs with oil; arrange on braid, tucking them carefully between ropes. For egg wash, whisk egg with water. Brush over dough; sprinkle with sesame seeds., Cover with a kitchen towel; let rise in a warm place until almost doubled, about 30 minutes. Preheat oven to 350°., Bake until golden brown, 30-35 minutes. Remove from pan to a wire rack to cool. Refrigerate leftovers.

GRANDMA ROSE'S ITALIAN EASTER BREAD 1947

Steps:

• Scald whole milk and let cool, add in the yeast.
• Beat eggs, and juice, and zest.
• Beat sugar and butter until fluffy continue to beat well.
• Add the beaten egg mixture into the beaten sugar butter mixture.
• Combine with the cooled scaled milk , and yeast mixture.
• Combine well, add sifted flour, continue adding flour until a soft dough comes together.
• Turn out onto a table and knead until soft, not too sticky, 5- 10 minutes.
• Let double in a greased bowl, covered.
• Punch down and let rise again.
• Form into braids after second rising, or put into loaf pans.
• Let rise until almost doubled Bake 350 degrees, until golden, 20 minutes approximately.
• Note; the amount of flour can be anything from 8- 12 cups, or more. but add gradually until you have a soft slightly sticky dough -- where when touched your finger comes away tacky but not sticking to the bread board.Keep your dough soft not firm --.
• All depends on flour and humidity and how much juice from your oranges and lemons.
• Can braid and place under braiding but showing raw eggs white or already coloured, eggs will cook while baking, for an Easter morning delight.
• Directions on making the dough, can vary, as I have done the procedure in different ways, and now we can't get fresh compressed yeast in our stores, so I use active dry yeast, usually 2 tablespoons.

GRANDMA"S EASTER BREAD

Steps:

• 1. Soften yeast in 1/3 cup water.
• 2. Mix egg yolks, anisette and oil to yeast in a large bowl for a electric mixer.
• 3. Add sugar then flour one cup at a time for a softer dough.
• 4. Let dough rise overnight covered with a light film of oil and plastic wrap over the bowl. Set in a warm draft free place
• 5. Let dough rise until doubled in size.
• 6. Bake at 400 degree until browned ( grandma didn't have how long to bake keep an eye on it ).
• 7. This has a powdered sugar frosting mixed thinly with milk then sprinkled with candy sprinkles.

GRANDMA LU'S ITALIAN EASTER BREAD

Steps:

• Soak orange and lemon rinds with the whisky in a glass jar with lid (or airtight container) and refrigerate the night before preparing bread.
• To prepare bread: Add yeast into 3/4 cup of warm water, and let stand several minutes until foamy. Melt shortening in large pot over low heat. Turn off heat, and add to shortening, stirring in with wooden spoon, sugar, yeast, eggs and orange extract. Then, mix in flour, salt and orange/lemon mixture, kneading together in pot until dough pulls away from sides and forms a ball. Remove from pot, and continue to knead on floured surface until dough is elastic, if too sticky, add additional flour until right consistency. Transfer dough back to pot and cover with kitchen towels and store in a warm place at least 5 hours or overnight until dough doubles in size.
• Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Spray a large bundt pan with baking spray. Remove dough from pot, and knead slightly on floured surface. Transfer to prepared pan, and bake for approximately 45 minutes, or until golden brown, and when toothpick inserted, comes out clean.
• Remove from oven, and cool in pan about 20 minutes. Invert onto serving plate. Using a hand mixer, beat egg whites with 1/4 cup sugar until peaks form. Spread on top of bread and garnish with colored sprinkles.

EASY ITALIAN EASTER BREAD

Steps:

• In a large bowl, combine 1 cup flour, sugar, yeast and salt. In a large saucepan, heat milk and 2 tablespoons butter to 120°-130°. Add dry ingredients; beat on medium speed for 2 minutes. Add eggs; mix well. Stir in enough remaining flour to form a soft dough. , Turn onto a lightly floured surface; knead until smooth and elastic, about 6-8 minutes. Place in a greased bowl, turning once to grease top. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1 hour., Punch dough down; turn onto a lightly floured surface. Knead in fruit, almonds and aniseed until blended. Let rest for 10 minutes. Divide dough in half. Shape each portion into a 24-in. rope. Loosely twist ropes together; place on a greased baking sheet and form into a ring. Pinch ends together. Melt remaining butter; brush over dough. Gently separate ropes and tuck dyed eggs into openings. Cover and let rise until doubled, about 40 minutes., Bake at 350° for 30-35 minutes or until golden brown. Cool on a wire rack. For glaze, in a bowl, combine the confectioners' sugar, vanilla and enough milk to achieve desired consistency; drizzle over bread. Sprinkle with candies if desired.