Recipe: Re: Request for Slovak Recipes..Easter Bread..

Hi, here is my recipe for Easter Bread - we all think it is very good. I don't have a recipe for homemade poppyseed filling, but I do have a Slovinian(spelling?) recipe book somewhere(!) and I will check that. If I find it, I'll post in in the next couple of days. But in the meantime, here is the bread recipe - ha, sure is not a low cholesterol one, but good!!
EASTER BREAD
l envelope dry yeast
l tsp. sugar
l Tablespoon flour
1/4 cup warm water
2/3 cup sugar
3 1/4 cup unsifted all purpose flour
3/4 tsp. salt (omit if using salted butter)
l Tablespoon grated lemon rind (I use frssh)
5 egg yolks
2 eggs
1/2 cup light cream - warmed
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter or margarine (Iuse half and half)
3/4 to 1 cup unsifted flour
l cup golden rasins
Sprinkly yeast, l tsp. sugar and l T. flour into veery warm water in a l cup measure and stir to dissolve. Let stand until bubbly and doubled in volume, about 10 min. combine 2/3 cup sugar, 3 1/4 c. flour, salt and lemon peel in large bowl Make well in center. Add egg yolks and eggs, yeast mixture, cream and vanilla, and rasins. Stir gradually until mixture is smooth. (I use the dough hooks on my mixer). Gradually beat in softened butter. If using dough hooks to mix, add the remaining 3/4 to 1 cup of flour to the bowl and mix for about 5 minutes. This eliminates the need to knead the dough. It is a lot easier!!If you don't use dough hooks, after mixing in the butter, turn the dough onto a well floured surface and knead, adding 3/4 to 1 cup flour until it is easily handled. Knead about 5 min till smooth and elastic. Dough will be soft.
Place dough in large, well buttered bowl. - turn over to bring buttered side up. cover. Rise 1 1/2 - 2 hours, till double in bulk, in warm area away from drafts. Punch down. Divide dough in half, shape into 2 loaves and place in pans that have been greased or sprayed with pam. (2 - 5 cup pans, I use 9x5x2 3/4 in. ones) Cover. rise till it doubles in bulk. Dough will just about reach top of pan.
Bake at 350 deg. for 30 min, till nicely browned and bread sounds hollow when tapped.
Turn onto cooling rack to cool. When cool, you can drizzle with conf. sugar frosting. 2 c. conf. sugar, 2 T. lemon juice, 3 T. water> Can use @ T./ run and 1 T. water if you like)
Good luck - hope you enjoy it. Barbara