Recipe: Mauna Loa Bread with Mac Nut Honey Butter (yeast bread, baked over a bowl)

MAUNA LOA BREAD WITH MAC NUT HONEY BUTTER

1 (1/4-ounce) package active dry yeast
1/4 cup warm water (about 110 degrees F)
1/2 cup sugar
1 tablespoon grated lemon zest
1/3 cup warm milk (about 110 degrees F)
1/2 teaspoon salt
5 eggs
1/2 cup Mauna Loa Macadamia Nuts, diced small
5 1/2 to 6 cups all-purpose flour
1 egg beaten with 1 tablespoon milk

FOR THE MAC NUT HONEY BUTTER:
1/2 cup butter, softened
1/4 cup macadamia nut honey

In a large bowl, dissolve the yeast in the warm water. Blend in the butter, sugar, lemon zest, milk, salt, eggs, and nuts. Gradually beat in 5 cups of the flour to make a stiff dough.

Turn the dough out onto a floured board and knead until smooth and satiny (10 to 15 minutes), adding more flour as needed to prevent sticking. Place the dough in a greased bowl; turn over to grease the top. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled in bulk, about 2 hours.

Punch the dough down, then knead briefly on a floured board to release the air. Return to the greased bowl; turn the dough over. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour or as long as 24 hours.

TO SHAPE AND BAKE:
Select a 2- to 2 1/2-quart mixing bowl of ovenproof glass or metal (about 9-inches in diameter and 4-inches deep). Wrap the outside with foil, folding excess foil inside bowl. Oil the foil generously and invert the bowl on an oiled 15xl2-inch baking sheet.

Punch the dough down, knead briefly on a floured board, and divide into 20 equal pieces. Working with 2 pieces at a time (keep remaining dough covered and refrigerated), roll each piece into a rope about 3/8 inch thick and 18 to 20-inches long. Pinch the ends of 2 ropes to seal, then twist the ropes together.

Starting at the bowl rim, wrap the twists around the bowl, pinching ends together to join whenever you add a new twist. Keep the bowl in the refrigerator to prevent uneven rising as you roll more ropes. Lightly cover the shaped dough with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place until puffy, 20 to 30 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Gently brush the dough with the egg mixture. Bake 25 to 30 minutes or until well browned. Let cool on a rack for about 10 minutes.

Crumple a large piece of foil into a loose ball with the same diameter and depth as the bowl; set the foil ball in the center of a rack. Gently remove the bread from the bowl, using a small spatula if needed to free it. Set the bread over the foil so that the foil supports the top of the loaf (bread is fragile when hot) until it is almost cool.

TO MAKE THE HONEY BUTTER:
Beat the butter with the honey until fluffy. Serve with the bread.

Second Annual Mauna Loa Macadamia Nut Contest Grand Prize
Elaine Harai, Captain Cook, Hawaii

Makes 1 bowl-shaped loaf
Source: The Cooking Contest Cookbook by Joyce Campagna