Recipe: Cardamon Easter Bread

Cardamon Easter Bread
Recipe courtesy of Amy Scherber

2 teaspoons dry yeast
5 ounces warm water (110 degrees)
1/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
2/3 cups warm milk
4 eggs, room temperature
5 tablespoons butter, room temperature
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 teaspoons kosher salt
6 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon ground cardamon (roast whole pods, grind and pass through a sieve)
1 cup golden raisins
6 eggs, uncooked but colored with bright dyes

Glaze:
1 cup powdered sugar
2 tablespoons milk

Mix yeast and warm water. Set aside. Whisk sugar, warm milk, eggs, soft butter, and oil together in a large mixing bowl. Set aside. Put flour, salt and ground cardamon in a bowl of a stand-alone mixer, stir to combine. Pour yeast mixture and egg mixture into dry ingredients. Mix on first speed until dough comes together, scraping bowl often. Mix on speed 2 for a few minutes until dough smooths out. It will still be very gloppy.

Place raisins on top of dough and allow the dough to rest for 20 minutes. (This is the autolyse.)

After autolyse, knead in raisins and bring together until smooth (2 to 3 minutes on 2nd speed).

Let dough rise 1 1/2 hours, then chill for 1 to 2 hours.

Divide dough into 6 equal pieces, make ropes; twist together and form a ring, leaving an opening in the middle. Place round loaves on parchment-lined baking sheets. Let shaped loaves rise until almost double in volume, then press in two colored, uncooked eggs. Brush dough with egg white wash around the eggs.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Place pans of bread into oven then mist with water from a "plant mister" 8 to 10 times. Bake for 10 minutes, then reduce temperature to 350 degrees F. Bake for an additional 15 to 20 minutes or until golden brown. The loaves should be rotated to different racks in the oven half way through baking. Cool loaves on wire racks. In a small bowl whisk together powdered sugar and milk. When the loaves are cool drizzle with glaze.

Note: Use "Paas"-brand Egg Coloring to color the eggs. Brown eggs work best!