EASTER BREAD RECIPE: original recipe @baresebites Ingredients: - 6 cups of flour - 7 tablespoons sugar - 1 whole lemon zest - 2 pinches of salt - 1 cup, warmed slightly - 4 tsp instant yeast - 6 beaten large eggs - 3/4 cup vegetable, canola, or avocado oil Instructions: 1. To a large measuring cup, add 1 cup of slightly warmed milk and the yeast. Mix well, removing the clumps, and let it sit 10-12 min until it bubbles/foams. If it’s not creating bubbles, either the milk was too hot or cold and killed the yeast, or the yeast has expired. 2. To your mixer, add flour, sugar, lemon zest, and salt. Mix using the dough hook attachment and then begin adding in yeast/milk, then beat 6 eggs, add them in, and lastly stream in oil, all while continuing to mix. Make sure oil is fully incorporated. Dough should look shiny. 3. A slightly sticky, shiny dough will form, but oil your hand and remove it from the mixer. If it’s very sticky, then add a few tablespoons of flour while continuing to mix. To not overdo it with flour! 4. Remove dough, place in a greased bowl, cover, and let sit 1.5 hours. 5. Once doubled in size, remove from the bowl, place onto your working surface, and cut into sections. Roll them out into nice thick logs. 6. For traditional round Easter breads, use 2 logs, pinch the top ends together and cross them over each other, then close the ends together and seal. For the braid look, roll out 3 thick logs, cross them over each other until the braid forms, and tuck in both ends. 8. Place on a baking tray lined with parchment paper, cover again, let sit 1 hour 9. Brush with egg wash, decorate if you prefer (do not bake the mini chocolate eggies, those go on after it’s baked and cooled ), and bake in a preheated oven at 350*F for 30-35 min until a darker golden brown color. If you prefer less golden, remove 3-4 minutes before! 10. Let it cool completely before cutting into it.