Easter Bread with Citrus Spoon Sweet from Corfu
- 1 cup milk
- 1 1/2 (1/4-ounce) envelopes active dry yeast
- 4 to 5 cups all-purpose flour, as needed
- 3/4 cup plus 1 tablespoons sugar
- 2 small eggs, separated
- 1/2 cup well-drained, chopped orange or bergamot spoon sweet
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1/8 cup kumquat or orange liqueur
- 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted
- 1/4 cup caraway seeds
- Heat the milk in a small saucepan until it is just warm.
- Pour it into a very large glass or ceramic bowl and stir in the yeast, 1/2 cup of the flour, and 6 tablespoons of the sugar.
- Place the bowl in a warm, draft-free place, lightly covered with a cloth, and allow to stand until the yeast starts to bubble up, about 30 minutes.
- With an electric mixer in a medium bowl, beat the egg yolks with 6 tablespoons of the remaining sugar until pale and creamy.
- Pour this mixture into the yeast mixture.
- Stir in the drained orange or bergamot spoon sweet, vanilla, kumquat or orange liqueur, and melted butter.
- Slowly add flour, 1 cup at a time, mixing it in with a wooden spoon, until a mass begins to form.
- Turn this out onto a lightly floured work surface and knead, adding more flour if necessary to form a very smooth, large ball of dough.
- Cover, place in a warm, draft-free place, and allow to stand until the dough has doubled in bulk, about 2 hours.
- Punch the dough down and knead again for about 7 to 8 minutes.
- Shape into 1 round loaf and place on a buttered baking sheet.
- Make 2 sharp slashes like an X on the surface of the dough, cover with a cloth, and let rise again until doubled for about 1 hour.
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- With an electric mixer, beat the egg whites with remaining 1 tablespoon sugar in a medium bowl until they are frothy without forming peaks.
- Brush the surface of each loaf with the mixture, sprinkle with caraway seeds, and bake until the fogatsa has swelled and browned, about 1 hour.
- Remove from the oven, let cool on a wire rack, and serve.
milk, active dry yeast, flour, sugar, eggs, orange, vanilla, kumquat, unsalted butter, caraway seeds
Taken from www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/easter-bread-with-citrus-spoon-sweet-from-corfu-recipe.html (may not work)