1 package rapid rise yeast or 2 1/2 tsp. cake yeast
1-1/4 cup scalded milk, cooled to room temperature1/2 cup butter, softened
2 whole eggs, beaten
1/2 cup granulated sugar
4 cups unbleached flour
1 whole egg, beaten with 1 tsp. cold water
6 whole Murray Hill Farm colored eggs, uncooked
Assorted candy sprinkles
The Easter eggs do not need to be hard boiled. They will cook when the bread bakes. I usually dye the eggs right out of the refrigerator. Just be careful not to crack them when dying them! In a large mixing bowl combine the yeast, warm milk (not hot), salt, softened butter, eggs and sugar. Add 1/2 of the flour(2 cups) and with your dough hook beat until smooth.
Slowly add in the remaining flour and beat until its forms a stiff dough. Don’t worry how much flour you add in extra, add in flour until you have a smooth and not sticky dough.
Knead dough for about 10 minutes either with your dough hook or on a lightly floured dough board. Place dough into a greased bowl, cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about an hour. Punch dough down, divide into 12 pieces. Roll each piece to form a 1 inch thick rope about 14 inches long. Take two of the ropes and twist to form a braid, pinch the ends together, and loop it into a circle, or wreath, pinch ends together and tuck a bit under to secure the end. *If you prefer you can make your dough into 2 large rings instead of six small*. If you do decide to make them large,each large ring gets 3 Easter eggs .
Place dough rings on a greased baking sheet, cover and let rise until doubled, about an hour. Brush each bread with the beaten egg wash, sprinkle the candy over each one. Make an indentation in the middle of each ring and gently place a colored egg into each one. Bake at 350 degrees F until golden, about 20-25 minutes. Cool on rack.
Buona Pasqua "Happy Easter". Adapted from Tasty Kitchen.
