Brother Bandera's Italian Easter Bread

• 4 1/2 cups flour (approximately)
• 1 package active dry yeast
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg, preferably freshly ground
• 1/4 teaspoon allspice
• 1/2 teaspoon grated lemon peel
• 23 cup skim milk
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, in pieces
• 4 eggs
• 13 cup chopped candied fruit peel
• Oil for bowl and pan

1. Place 2 1/2 cups of the flour in a mixing bowl, and mix in the yeast, salt, sugar, nutmeg, allspice and lemon peel.
2. Warm the milk and butter in a saucepan to 120 degrees, stir to melt the butter and pour into the bowl with the dry ingredients.
3. Lightly beat 3 of the eggs, add them and mix all the ingredients together.
4. Gradually add enough of the remaining flour to make a soft dough.
5. Turn the dough out onto a floured board, flatten it and knead in the fruit peel.
6. Knead the dough about 10 minutes, adding additional flour as necessary to make a soft dough that is barely sticky.
7. Lightly oil a bowl, place the dough in it, turn it, cover the bowl and set the dough aside to rise until doubled, about 1 hour.
8. Punch the dough down, and divide it in four pieces.
9. Roll each of the pieces into a tight ball and place them in an oiled 10-inch cake pan.
10. Cover, and allow to rise in a warm place about 30 minutes.
11. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
12. Beat the remaining egg with 1 tablespoon of water, and brush this mixture lightly onto the dough.
13. Place in the oven and bake about 45 minutes, until nicely browned.
14. Allow to cool before cutting.

flour, active dry yeast, salt, sugar, nutmeg, allspice, milk, unsalted butter, eggs, candied fruit, bowl

Taken from cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/7896 (may not work)