Pane di Pasqua (Italian Easter Bread)
Ingredients
½ cup milk, heated to 100 degrees Fahrenheit
⅓ cup sugar
2 ¼ teaspoons instant yeast
Zest of 1 large orange
½ teaspoon anise seed
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 eggs
1 teaspoon salt
3 ½ to 4 cups flour
4 tablespoons butter, melted and cooled slightly
6 raw dyed eggs
Rainbow nonpareils
Egg wash
1 egg
1 tablespoon water
Steps
In a bowl of a stand mixer, pour in ½ cup of warm milk, ⅓ cup of sugar, and 2 ¼ teaspoons of yeast and let the mixture sit for 5 to 10 minutes
Add 2 eggs to the mixer and beat to combine
Add the zest of 1 large orange, ½ teaspoon of anise seed, and 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract to the mixer and beat again
Add 1 teaspoon of salt and gradually add in the flour, a little at a time, using the dough hook attachment to knead the dough until it pulls away from the sides of the bowl
After all the flour has been incorporated, pour in the melted butter and knead again until the butter is thoroughly mixed in
Lightly flour the counter and turn out the dough to shape into a round ball
Transfer the dough to a large greased bowl
Cover the bowl with a damp tea towel or some plastic wrap and allow the dough to rise in a warm spot for 1 ½ hours or until the dough has doubled in size
After the dough has risen, transfer the dough to a lightly floured surface and punch it down
Divide the dough into 12 equal sections
Roll each piece of dough into a long rope, about 12 inches long
Take 2 rolled logs and press the ends together and fold one rope over the other to create a twist
Shape this twist into a ring and pinch the ends of the dough together to secure
Continue forming these little nests of twisted dough until 6 rings have been shaped
Place the dough rings on a parchment paper lined baking sheet
Beat together 1 egg and 1 tablespoon of water to form an egg wash
Brush the egg wash all over the top and sides of the twisted dough rings
Lightly cover the egg washed dough rings with some aluminum foil and let rise for an additional 45 minutes
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit
Uncover the dough rings and brush with another layer of egg wash
Place 1 raw dyed egg in the center of each ring
Sprinkle the rings with some rainbow nonpareils
Bake the breads in the oven at 350 degrees for 20 to 30 minutes or until the top of the bread is golden brown
Remove the bread from the oven and allow to cool for 10 minutes
Enjoy your flavorful Easter bread with a baked ‘hard-boiled’ egg