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greek easter bread
by Des Saffo
5 lbs bread flour
3 packages yeast
1 cup water, lukewarm
1 tablespoon sugar
2 sticks butter
4 cups water, lukewarm
½ cup sugar
2 eggs
½ cup milk, lukewarm
1 tablespoon salt
5 hardboiled eggs dyed with
McCormick Red Food Color
Dissolve 3 packages of yeast in 1 cup
of lukewarm water and 1 tablespoon
sugar. Set aside in a little saucepan.
In a large saucepan, melt 2 sticks of
butter and 4 cups lukewarm water,
½ cup sugar, 2 beaten eggs, ½ cup
lukewarm milk, and 1 tablespoon salt.
Place 5 pounds of bread flour in a large
bowl and make a well in the center of
the flour. Add yeast solution and all of
the large saucepan ingredients. Mix
with your hands to blend ingredients
thoroughly. Knead until the dough is
smooth, elastic and not sticky.
Cover bowl with a kitchen towel
and let dough rise in a warm place for
1 hour. Punch down and let it rise
again for another 30 minutes.
Knead lightly on floured surface and
shape into one round and five small
loaves. Press 3 hard-boiled red eggs
in the round and 1 in each small loaf.
Place on a greased pan. Cover and let
rise until doubled in bulk, brush with
a beaten egg, sprinkle the top of the
bread with sesame seeds, and bake at
350 degrees for 45 minutes. Remove
from pan and cool.