Easter Bread (Russian)

Image by joana hard via Flickr

In many European countries, there are various traditions surrounding the use of bread during the Easter holiday. People in Russia eat an Easter bread that is full of plump white raisins and tastes like cake.  In some countries of Eastern Europe, people enjoy an Easter Cake called babka.  It's shaped like a skirt -- babka means "little old woman".  Easter cakes in Italy are shaped like a rabbit, which is a symbol of birth and new life and many other countries make cookies and cakes shaped like a lamb, a symbol of Jesus.  Hot cross buns are another traditional Easter bread with icing in the shape of a cross.

This is a good recipe for children to learn bread baking techniques.  Kids especially enjoy measuring in the ingredients, punching the dough down and the glorious smell the baking dough makes in the house!


Ingredients:


1 cup butter or margarine
1 1/2 cups white sugar
2 cups warm water
2 cups milk (warm)
2 tsp salt
2 pkg yeast
8 eggs
12 to 14 cups of flour

Glaze

1 1/3 C confectioner's sugar

1 1/2 tsp. finely chopped lemon zest

1/2 tsp. lemon extract

1- 2 T milk 

Procedure:


1. Dissolve yeast in warm water.  


2. Beat eggs for 5 minutes, then add sugar very gradually, beating all the time.  Beat 10 minutes longer.

3. Add warmed milk, yeast and half the flour, mix into thick batter.

4. Add melted butter or margarine, mix well.

5. Continue adding flour until stiff like bun dough.

6. Set aside, rise 1 hour, punch down and let rise again.

7. Bake in large (apple juice tins, etc) well greased pans - fill about 1/5 can as it rises very high. May also be baked in loaf pans.

8. Bake at 350 Fahrenheit until done.

9. Ice with glaze (just mix all the glaze ingredients together and drizzle over bread).


Tip: Add raisins only of the kids like it!