Greek Easter Bread

Ingredients

Flour 600 g

Sugar 100 g

Instant-action dry yeast 7 g

Candied kumquat 100 g

Lemon 1

Butter 125 g

Milk 250 ml

Star anise 1

Egg 1

Sift all the flour into a large bowl. Make a well in the bowl, add a teaspoon of sugar, pour in two tablespoons of warm water, add the dry yeast, and mix everything together with a small amount of flour. Let the dough rise in a warm place for 15 minutes to activate the yeast.

While the dough is rising, prepare the candied lemon peel. Wash it, remove the seeds, and cut into small pieces. Wash the lemon, scrub it thoroughly with a brush, and pour boiling water over it. This removes the protective film of substances that protects the citrus from spoiling. Boiling water will also enhance the aroma of the essential oils.

Grate the lemon zest on a fine grater. Try to avoid the white part of the lemon peel; we only need the yellow layer.

In a bowl with flour, combine the sugar, lemon zest, candied fruit, and pieces of soft butter. Pour in warm (not hot!) milk, add 1/2 teaspoon of ground anise, and knead the dough. Knead until smooth. If it's too stiff, add another 50 ml of milk. Form the dough into a ball, return it to the bowl, cover with a clean cloth, and set it in a warm place to rise. For example, you can turn the burner to the lowest heat and leave the bowl nearby, but be careful not to overheat it. Let the dough rest for 3 hours.

After the dough has risen, punch it down, and then you can begin the most interesting part: shaping the bread. Divide the dough into four pieces—three equal-sized pieces and one slightly larger. Roll the three pieces into long logs, approximately 70 cm long. Even if they seem too thin, that's okay—the main thing is that they're long enough to make a large braid.

On baking paper, braid the logs into a loose braid.

Roll the fourth piece of dough into a log, the same length as the resulting log, and place it on top. Lightly press the top log into the log, flattening the log.

Make five nests for the eggs, making them deep enough to reach the very bottom of the bread. Boil and cool the eggs ahead of time. Rub them with vegetable oil and arrange them in the nests, twisting them to reach the bottom. Rub generously with oil, otherwise the eggs will stick to the bread in the resulting braid.

Place in a warm place to rise for 20 minutes. After rising, brush the bread with an egg yolk mixed with a tablespoon of water. Sprinkle with sesame seeds and bake at 180°C for 40-45 minutes.

Once the bread is baked and cooled, empty the nests and place the dyed Easter eggs in them. The eggs used in the baking can be used in a salad.

Enjoy!