Greek Anise Loaf Food

ANISE BREAD

Steps:

• Preheat an oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease 3 small loaf pans.
• Combine rye flour, baking soda, salt, buttermilk, brown sugar, white sugar, corn syrup, molasses, eggs, anise seed, and melted butter in a large bowl, and mix well.
• Scrape the batter into the prepared loaf pans, and bake in the preheated oven until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 45 minutes. Remove pans from the oven, and cool on their sides for about 15 minutes before loosening the sides of the loaves from the pans. Remove the loaves, and finish cooling on a wire rack.

GREEK HONEY AND ANISE TWISTS (KOULOURAKIA)

Steps:

• Mix honey, 2 tablespoons liqueur and juice in small bowl. Set glaze aside.
• Preheat oven to 350°F. Lightly butter baking sheets. Combine flour, salt and baking powder in medium bowl. Using electric mixer, beat butter and sugar in large bowl until fluffy. Add eggs 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in remaining 2 tablespoons liqueur, aniseed and lemon peel. Gradually mix in dry ingredients.
• Working with 1 tablespoon dough at a time, roll dough between palms and work surface into 7-inch ropes. Form into bow ties or twists. Place on prepared baking sheets, spacing evenly. Brush glaze over cookies. Sprinkle with sesame seeds. Bake cookies until pale golden, about 15 minutes. Transfer cookies to racks. Lightly brush cookies again with glaze. Cool. (Can be made ahead. Store in airtight container at room temperature up to 1 week, or freeze up to 1 month.)

EASY GREEK EASTER BREAD RECIPE

Steps:

• In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine 1/3 cup hot water (about 110 degrees F) with the yeast, 1 tbsp of the flour, and 1 tbsp of the sugar. Whisk gently. Cover with a towel and leave aside for 10 minutes until bubbly.
• In the meantime, heat the milk in a small sauce pan until the edges begin to bubble, about 4 to 6 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in the butter, remaining sugar and salt. Set aside for 5 minutes to cool.
• Using the paddle attachment of your stand mixer, stir the milk mixture into the yeast mixture. While paddle is stirring, add the 2 beaten eggs. Gradually mix in the flour, anise seed, and vanilla extract. Beat unit a soft dough forms. Increase speed to medium (or medium-high if needed) until the dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl.
• Transfer dough onto a lightly floured surface (dough will be sticky at this point.) Kneed by hand until very smooth (about 5 minutes), then place dough into a lightly-oiled bowl. Cover and place in a warm, closed space for 1 1/2 hours, until doubled in size. (I had heated my oven to lowest temperature, then turned it off a few minutes before placing my covered dough in.)
• Punch dough down, and transfer to floured surface again. Cut dough into 3 equal parts, and gently roll each to form a long 16-inch rope. Transfer to a large baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Press ropes together at one end and braid fairly loosely. Form into a circle and press together on the other side. Stretch the circle to about 10 inches across and the hole in the middle about 3 1/2 inches wide.
• Cover with a clean towel and place back in warm space for 1 hour until doubled in size.
• Rub the dyed eggs with olive oil, and buff with paper towel. Select three spots in the dough, evenly spaced, and gently insert the eggs. Cover and return to warm space. Let rise 1 more hour until dough doubles in size.
• Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Brush the bread with the egg wash and sprinkle with toasted sesame seeds. Bake about 45 minutes until braided loaf turns a nice deep golden brown (should sound hallow when you tap on it.)
• Let cool for about 30 minutes before serving. Serve with more boiled eggs, honey or other breakfast items. Enjoy!

ANISEED LOAF

Steps:

• In a large bowl, beat the sugar, honey and oil. Combine the flour, baking soda and salt; add to sugar mixture alternately with buttermilk, beating well after each addition. Stir in aniseed. , Pour into a greased 9x5-in. loaf pan. Bake at 350° for 35-45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pan to a wire rack to cool completely.

ANISE ALMOND LOAF (BREAD MACHINE)

Steps:

• In bread machine pan, place first eight ingredients in order suggested by manufacturer.
• Select basic bread setting.
• Choose light crust color and loaf size if available.
• Bake according to bread machine directions (check dough after 5 minutes of mixing; add 1 to 2 tablespoons of water or flour if needed).
• Just before the final kneading (your machine may audibly signal this), add almonds.

GREEK ANISE LOAF

Steps:

• Soften yeast in warm water. Pour scalded milk over sugar, butter and salt; stir til butter melts. Cool to lukewarm. Stir in flavorings. Add 1 cup of the flour; mix well. Stir in 1 egg and softened yeast; beat well. Add remaining flour ( or a little more or less to make a soft dough.) Turn out on lightly floured surface. Knead til smooth and elastic ( 8 - 10 minutes). Place in lightly greased bowl, turning once. Cover; let rise in a warm place until almost double (about 1 1/4 hours).
• Punch down. Let rise again until almost double (1 hours). Turn out on to lightly floured surface and divide dough into thirds; form in balls. Cover and let rest for 10 minutes.
• Roll each under hands to form strands 16 inches long, tapering ends. Braid loosely without stretching, beginning in the middle, working towards either end. Pinch ends together. Cover; let rise until almost double ( 40 minutes). Combine beaten egg and water; brush over braid; sprinkle with sesame seed.
• Bake at 375* for 25 minutes.

KOURAMBIATHES (GREEK COOKIES)

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease baking sheets.
• In a medium bowl, cream the butter, egg yolk and anise extract until light. Stir in the 1/4 cup confectioners' sugar and flour until blended.
• Shape dough into crescents and place 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheets.
• Bake in preheated oven just until bottoms and edges begin to brown, 15 to 20 minutes. Dust heavily with confectioners' sugar before they are completely cool.