Easter Anise Bread Recipes

ITALIAN ANISE EASTER BREAD

Steps:

• In mixer bowl beat eggs. Add sugar, butter, crisco, oil, milk, and vanilla.
• Dissolve yeast in the warm water. You may want to use a thermometer to be sure the temperature is correct. Let yeast sit until it foams, as in package directions. Add to egg mixture. Add anise.
• Add flour one cup at a time until mixture is unmanageable. Transfer into LARGE pan (Dishpan works well.) and work in remaining flour, kneading with hands.
• Knead until you are too tired to knead any more (half hour?) and then oil top of dough ball, cover, and let rise in warm place 6 hours or overnight.
• Grease 6 loaf pans. Separate dough into 6 parts and knead each again. Cover with towels and let rise in warm place another couple of hours.
• Bake 1 hour at 275 degrees. Do not underbake or they will be hard as a rock. (Top should be lightly browned.).

ITALIAN ANISE BREAD

Steps:

• Combine flour, sugar, and anise seed together in a very large bowl; create a well in the center.
• Mix warm water and yeast together in a bowl. Let stand until the yeast softens and begins to form a creamy foam, about 10 minutes.
• Beat warm milk, eggs, and butter together in a bowl; stir into yeast mixture. Add milk mixture to the well in the flour mixture. Knead flour-milk mixture using your hands until dough and your hands are no longer sticky. Cover dough with a clean cotton cloth and let rise, 8 hours to overnight.
• Grease and flour 6 loaf pans.
• Punch dough down and divide into 6 portions. Mold each portion into a round shape and place each in a prepared pan. Cover pans and let rise for 1 hour more.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Bake in the preheated oven until bread is cooked through, 45 to 50 minutes.

ITALIAN EASTER BREAD (ANISE FLAVORED)

Steps:

• Mix 1 cup of flour with sugar, salt, and yeast in a bowl, stir well. Place milk and anise extract into a small saucepan over low heat, and warm to about 110 degrees F (43 degrees C). Make a well in the center of the flour mixture with your hand, and pour in the milk mixture; swirl with your hand in a circular motion to combine the flour mixture with the milk mixture. Mix in butter and eggs, one at a time, then mix in remaining flour until dough begins to pull together.
• Turn the dough out onto a floured work surface, and knead until soft but elastic, about 8 minutes. Cover with a damp cloth, and let dough rest for 10 minutes; cut dough into halves.
• On floured work surface, roll each half into a ball, then shape the balls into 2 long pieces, about 1 1/2 inches thick and 18 to 20 inches long. Pinch the 2 top ends together, and loosely twist the pieces to form a twisted loaf; pinch the bottom ends together, and tuck the two ends underneath the loaf. (Alternately, form the twist into a ring, and pinch the ends together.)
• Grease a baking sheet, lay the loaf onto the prepared sheet, and cover with a damp towel; let rise until doubled, about 1 hour. Brush loaf with beaten egg, and sprinkle with colored decorating dragees.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Bake the decorated loaf in the preheated oven until golden, 20 to 25 minutes. Watch closely towards the end of the baking time that the bread does not begin to burn. Transfer to wire rack immediately after baking to cool.

ANISE EASTER BREAD BREAD MACHINE LOAF

Steps:

• Place in order of your manufacturers instructions for your bread machine (makes 1 1/2 pound loaf).
• Place on sweet bread setting, light crust.
• Checking as mixing that it forms a smooth slight tacky ball of dough.
• If dough is sloppy, add a tsp, flour at a time.
• If dough is too hard like, add a tsp milk, at a time.
• Although at this time I did not have to adjust my dough upon mixing.
• Remove when completed baking, to a wire rack.
• Cool thoroughly before cutting with a serrated bread knife, or before storing.

SWEET AND GOLDEN EASTER BREAD

Steps:

• In a large bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water. Add the milk, sugar, butter and salt; mix well. Add eggs, extract and 2 cups flour; beat until smooth. Stir in enough remaining flour to form a soft dough. , Turn onto a floured surface; knead until smooth and elastic, about 8-10 minutes. Place in a greased bowl, turning once to grease the top. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1 hour. , Punch dough down. Turn onto a lightly floured surface; sprinkle with raisins and knead in. Divide in half. Divide each portion into thirds. Shape each into a 14-in. rope. Place three ropes on a greased baking sheet, and braid; pinch ends to seal and tuck under. Repeat with remaining dough. Cover and let rise until doubled, about 45 minutes., Whisk egg white and water; brush over braids. Bake at 325° for 35-40 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from pans to wire racks to cool.

ANISE RAISIN BREAD

Steps:

• In a bowl, dissolve yeast in warm milk. Add the sugar, orange juice, butter, eggs, egg whites, lemon juice, orange zest, salt, lemon zest, extract and 2 cups flour. Beat until smooth. Stir in raisins and enough remaining flour to form a soft dough. Turn onto a floured surface; knead until smooth and elastic, about 6-8 minutes. Place dough in a bowl coated with cooking spray; turn once to grease top. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1-1/4 hours., Punch dough down. Turn onto a lightly floured surface; divide in half. Shape into loaves. Place in two 8x4-in. loaf pans coated with cooking spray. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 45 minutes. Bake at 350° for 45-50 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from pans to cool on wire racks.

EASTER BREAD

Steps:

• Make the sponge: Put 1 cup milk in a medium bowl, add yeast and let dissolve. Whisk in 1 cup (125 grams) all-purpose flour. Cover bowl and leave in a warm place until doubled in size and very frothy, about 30 minutes.
• Put currants, raisins, cranberries and apricots in a small bowl and cover with hot water. Leave 10 minutes, then drain. Return to bowl and stir in rum.
• Beat 2 eggs and 2 of the yolks. Add the beaten eggs, melted butter and almond extract to sponge and stir together. Stir in dried fruit.
• In a large bowl mix together 4 cups (500 grams) all-purpose flour, salt, sugar, anise seeds, cardamom, orange zest, lemon zest and almonds. Pour sponge mixture over flour mixture and combine, stirring with a spoon or hands until it forms a shaggy, slightly sticky mass. Dust lightly with flour and turn dough out onto a clean work surface. Knead for a few minutes until smooth, dusting with a minimal amount of flour if necessary, to make a soft dough. (If desired, dough may be refrigerated overnight in a large zippered storage bag. Bring to room temperature and proceed with recipe.)
• Put dough in a large bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 45 minutes. Punch down dough and knead lightly. Divide dough in half with knife and form two loaves; they can be round, braided or free-form. Place side by side on a large parchment-lined baking sheet, leaving a 4-inch space between them (or use 2 smaller baking sheets). Cover lightly with plastic wrap or a damp tea towel and let rise until doubled, about 30 minutes. Meanwhile, place a rack in the middle of the oven, and heat oven to 350 degrees.
• Make the egg wash: with a fork, beat together the remaining egg yolk and the milk. Uncover loaves and brush generously with egg wash. Sprinkle each loaf with 2 tablespoons sugar (or 1 tablespoon pearl sugar), if desired. Bake on middle rack for 45 minutes or until loaves are a dark, glossy brown. Transfer to a cooling rack and let cool completely.