Bunny Breads

• 12 eggs colored *
• 1 cup milk
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup butter one stick
• 1 teaspoon lemon oil
• 1 tablespoon lemon peel
• 2 active dry yeast pkts, or 2 Tbsp
• 1 cup warm water
• 2 eggs room temperature
• 1 cup flour sifted, plus more
• 1 egg beaten, for wash

1. Now, for the bread:Scald the milk; add sugar, salt, butter & lemon oil or peel. Cook to lukewarm (it's good to toss it into your big mixing bowl if that bowl needs to be warmed up!). Sprinkle yeast on top of the warm water, stir to dissolve. Add to milk mixture along with the 2 eggs and 2 1/2 cups of flour.
2. Beat until smooth (120 strokes is traditional and effective).
3. Stir in enough of the remaining flour, a little at a time, to form a dough that is easy to handle. turn onto lightly floured board and knead until smooth and elastic, 5-8 minutes. Place in lightly greased bowl; turn dough over to grease top. cover and let rise in a warm place free from drafts until doubled, about 1 hour.
4. Punch down, turn, cover & let rise again until almost doubled, about 30 minutes. Meanwhile, prepare baking sheets (full-sized cookie sheets hold six individual breads - bunnies or baskets - or one braid) by coating with cooking spray or covering the baking sheet with parchment paper.
5. For individual breads:Divide into 12 even portions. Roll out a portion between your hands into an 8-10" rope. Cut off about a quarter of the rope if making bunnies, about an eighth if making baskets with handles. Pinch remaining dough into a circle, securing dough well. Put an egg onto the prepared baking sheet, and stretch the dough around it. If you've reserved some dough, roll it into a long enough rope to make the basket handle or two bunny ears (make it long, cut in half, fold it double; pinch into bottom of bread ring above one long end of egg).
6. For rainbow rings:Roll bread out into two ropes as long as possible. Leaving "tails" about long enough to go around the last egg, cross the two ropes and put one end of an egg against the joint, running lengthwise. Make the ropes cross over/under at the end of the egg and place the next egg at the joint of the ropes. Keep on truckin' until you get to the sixth egg. If you're truly compulsive (as I am) you will have, of course, arranged the eggs in rainbow order so there's no beginning or end to the color wheel. As you tuck the last egg into the last of the ropes, pinch the ends together securely.
7. Brush assembled breads with beaten egg. Let rise until doubled. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 375F.
8. Brush breads with egg wash again, sprinkle on decorations as desired (pink sugar down the crease of the bunny ears is very charming). Bake individual breads 20-25 minutes; rainbow rings 30-40 minutes.
9. Baskets can be removed from pans promptly. WAIT 10-15 minutes on bunnies and rings, so the bread can set up a little. Then, remove to a cooling rack (or serving dish!) but be careful to support the shaped bread as much as you can.

eggs, milk, sugar, salt, butter, lemon oil, lemon peel, active dry yeast pkts, water, eggs, flour, egg

Taken from www.yummly.com/recipe/Bunny-Breads-1650485 (may not work)