King Arthur's Egg Braid Recipe

Recipe Ingredients

1 tbsp active dry yeast
1 cup warm water
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 cup warm milk
4 eggs, room temperature
1 stick butter or margarine
1 1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tbsp cinnamon
7 cup 7-9 cups king arthur unbleached all, -purpose fl
12 dyed uncooked eggs

EGG WASH

1 egg, beaten
1 tbsp water
1 pinch of salt

Dissolve the yeast in the water. Stir in the sugar and
add 1/2 cup flour. Let this sit for 10-minutes to give
the yeast a chance to get going. Add the milk, eggs,
butter, salt, and cinnamon. Stir in 4 cups of the
flour. Add more flour until the dough starts to form a
shaggy mass. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured
counter and knead it, adding more flour as necessary,
until the dough has formed a smooth and satiny ball.
The dough will be a little tacky, but it shouldn't be
sticky. Put the dough into a clean bowl and coat it
with a little melted butter. This will help prevent
the formation of a skin on the dough due to exposure
to the air. Cover the dough with plastic wrap or a
damp towel. Let the dough rise in a warm spot for 1
1/2 to 2 hours, or until it's quite swollen and puffy
looking. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured
counter and knead it gently to expel any air bubbles.
You don't need to actively knead the dough at this
point; that will excite the gluten in the dough and
make it harder to braid the bread. Divide the dough
into 2 pieces and set one aside. Divide the first
piece into 3 even pieces. Roll each piece into a rope
that is 1" in diameter. Braid the set of ropes and
shape the braid into a large circle. Place the circle
on a greased or parchment paper-lined baking sheet.
Repeat with the second piece of dough. Cover the
loaves with damp towels and let the wreaths rise for
30 minutes. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Place the
eggs on the wreaths and gently press them into the
dough. Brush the dough with the egg wash (1 egg beaten
with 1 tbs. water and a pinch of salt). Bake the
loaves for 35-45 minutes, until nicely browned.
Occasionally an egg will split in the oven. Use a
sharp knife to remove it from the wreath and
substitute a dyed-hard-boiled egg. Cool the wreaths on
a rack and ice when fully cool. Makes 2 wreaths, each
yielding 12 large slices. Icing glaze: 1 1/2 cups
confectioners' sugar 3 tbs orange liqueur Beat the
sugar and the liqueur together. The icing should be
the consistency of a thick salad dressing. Use a fork
to drizzle the icing on the wreaths.

Servings: 8

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