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Italian Easter Bread

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Wow, it’s been awhile since I posted. I’ve made a bunch of new recipes in the past several weeks, but none of them were up to par for posting – good, but not great.

Then along comes this amazing Italian Easter Bread from Brown Eyed Baker. The bread is flavored with orange juice and orange zest, and then I made a few small changes from the original recipe to our tastes.

Italian Easter Bread

The original recipe calls for anise oil and I substituted almond flavoring. Also I halved the recipe because we don’t need two big loaves of bread.

This bread is wonderful, though, and now I’m thinking two loaves would be welcome!

Italian Easter Bread

The texture of this Italian Easter Bread is fluffy, fairly soft, and tender. It’s a barely-sweet bread and the simple, sweet glaze goes perfectly as the finishing touch.

There are sprinkles on top because I think they look “Spring-y,” but sliced almonds would be nice if you want an alternative.

The orange flavor isn’t overpowering, but is definitely there and wonderful. The dough is fairly easy to work with and rises nicely to make this beautiful, big loaf. Just take a look!

I’m gonna dab a little butter on a slice tomorrow morning and slide it under the broiler for a great breakfast treat. Don’t put it in the toaster, though, or you’ll have a little mess with melted glaze…

This beautiful Italian Easter Bread is great for Easter, but I’m sure I’ll be making it throughout the rest of the year, too.

Besides the time for rising, this bread is fairly straightforward to make and your guests will be very impressed. Put this one on your holiday baking list!

Italian Easter Bread

Italian Easter Bread

Yield: 1 big, round loaf
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 40 minutes
Inactive Time: 2 hours
Total Time: 3 hours 10 minutes

Fluffy, soft, and tender lightly sweet yeast bread, flavored with orange and topped with a sweet glaze. 

Ingredients

  • 4 1/2 - 5 C all purpose flour
  • 3/4 C milk (I used 2%)
  • 1/4 plus 1 tbsp sugar
  • 1 large orange, zested and juiced
  • 1 envelope (about 2 1/4 tsp.) active dry yeast
  • 1/2 cup butter
  • 4 eggs, room temperature
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/8 tsp almond extract
  • 1 tbsp butter, melted (for brushing onto bread)
  • Glaze:
  • 1 1/2 C powdered sugar
  • 2-3 tbsp milk or cream
  • 2-3 drops almond extract
  • sprinkles, sliced almonds, or your choice of topping (optional)

Instructions

  1. Place 4 cups of the flour in a large mixing bowl.
  2. Pour the milk in a large glass measuring cup and microwave for 20 seconds at a time until warm to the touch (between 110° to 115°).  
  3. While milk is warming, mix the sugar and orange zest together in a small bowl or cup until well-blended.
  4. When the milk is warm, stir the sugar/orange zest mixture into it and stir until well mixed.  Make sure the milk is still warm to the touch, then add the yeast and stir.  Set aside for 7-8 minutes until the yeast has bloomed.
  5. Create a small hole in the middle of the flour and pour in the milk/yeast mixture.  Stir a few times with a large spoon, then use the mixer to continue mixing on medium low.  Add the melted, cooled butter and continue to mix.  Add the juice of the orange and again continue mixing.
  6. While the dough is mixing, place the eggs, salt and almond extract in a medium bowl and lightly beat with a fork.  Turn the mixer on low and add the eggs, scraping down the sides as needed.  Mixture will be quite runny at this point.
  7. Begin adding flour, 1/4 C at a time until dough comes together (mine took a cup of extra flour to do so).  The dough will look more like bread dough, but still be just a bit sticky to the touch.
  8. Flour your kneading surface and turn out the dough onto it.  Knead for 5 minutes, adding a small amount of flour if needed until the dough is soft and elastic.  Roll gently into a smooth ball and place in a large bowl which is oiled or sprayed.  Turn the ball to coat with the oil/spray.  Cover the bowl loosely with plastic wrap and place in a warm, draft-free place to rise - about 1 hour.
  9. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
  10. Turn the dough out onto a clean surface and cut it in half.  Working with one half, roll the dough into an even 24-inch long rope.  Do the same with the second half, then gently twist the two ropes together, about four to five twists. 
  11. Move the braid over to the baking sheet and carefully bring the ends around to meet, gently twisting the ends together - pinch dough together if needed.
  12. Brush the melted butter over the top and sides of the braid  and loosely cover with plastic wrap.  Set in a warm, draft-free place and let rise until almost doubled - 45 to 60 minutes.
  13. Ten minutes before the dough is finished rising, preheat the oven to 350°.  Bake the bread until golden brown, 35 to 40 minutes.  Remove from the oven and let cool completely on a rack.
  14. When bread is completely cool, whisk together the powdered sugar, milk , and almond extract until smooth.  Adjust milk to get desired consistency (leave it a little thick, not runny.)  Brush the glaze onto the bread with a pastry brush, using all of the glaze.  Sprinkle with sprinkles, almonds, or your choice of topping.

Notes

Tips and Stuff:

The original recipe was doubled for two loaves and uses anise oil instead of almond extract.

Don't panic if you have to add more than a cup of extra flour after the eggs are added - just add 1/4 cup at a time till it looks like bread dough (will still be slightly sticky though).

Lower the speed of the mixer when you add the eggs or you'll have egg hair.

Make sure the two 24" ropes are even from the middle to the end or after baked you'll have a puffy side and flatter side.  I didn't show my whole bread in the photos, but the ends that were twisted together are smaller than the other side.  Take your time when you twist and pinch them together.

Any lumps or cracks that are in the risen dough will be amplified after baking, so smooth out any rough edges.  (The glaze covers a lot of sins but not all of them!).

Store leftovers tightly in plastic wrap at room temperature up 3 to 4 days.  Best at room temperature.

Spread a pat of butter on a slice and place under the broiler for a minute to have wonderful breakfast toast.

Nutrition Information:
Yield: 15 Serving Size: 1 slice
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 865Total Fat: 14gSaturated Fat: 6gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 7gCholesterol: 72mgSodium: 166mgCarbohydrates: 158gFiber: 6gSugar: 13gProtein: 23g

Nutrition Values are Approximate

© Adapted from Brown Eyed Baker.Com
Category: Breads/Muffins

Red-and-Yellow White Bread

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The name of this bread was so intriguing that I just had to make it – Red-and-Yellow Bread from The New Basics Cookbook by the same authors of the famous The Silver Palate Cookbook. The Silver Palate Cookbook was a staple for 1980’s cooks and brought a whole new dimension to home cooking.

The red and yellow in the title of the recipe supposedly comes from the cayenne and egg yolks that are used, although the bread doesn’t actually end up red or yellow in color at all.

The cayenne gives it just barely a kick, so I’d probably use more next time and maybe some herbs to dress it up a little. It did make a really pretty loaf of bread, though!

The dough was easy to throw together and was nice to work with. I like this recipe because it only makes one loaf. It seems like most bread recipes make 2 loaves and I really don’t prefer to freeze homemade yeast bread. It just doesn’t seem the same after thawed.

We made grilled cheese sandwiches and this bread gave them a different texture and really soaked up that butter nicely. I did find (like most homemade breads) it’s best the first day or two, then the texture coarsened a bit. I would definitely make this bread again. We both have enjoyed it!

Red-and-Yellow White Bread (is that an oxymoron?) is a good, sturdy bread recipe that is best the first day or two.

Red and Yellow White Bread

Red-And-Yellow White Bread

Yield: 1 loaf
Prep Time: 25 minutes
Cook Time: 35 minutes
Inactive Time: 1 hour 27 minutes
Total Time: 2 hours 27 minutes

Crusty outside, soft inside.  Makes a nice sandwich bread and great toast!

Ingredients

  • 1 pkg active dry yeast
  • 1/2 C warm water (about 110°)
  • 1/4 tsp sugar
  • 3 C all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
  • 3 tbsp butter, melted and cooled to room temperature
  • 2 egg yolks, lightly beaten
  • 5 to 6 tbsp milk

Instructions

  1. Stir the yeast, warm water, and sugar together in a small bowl.  Set aside and let the yeast start foaming, about 5 minutes.
  2. Combine the flour, salt, and cayenne in a large bowl.  Stir in the yeast mixture, butter, egg yolks, and enough of the milk to form a mass of fairly sticky dough.  Let it stand for 10 minutes.
  3. Transfer the dough to a lightly floured surface and knead it until it's smooth and elastic, about  7-8 minutes.  If the dough is sticky, sprinkle it lightly with more flour as you knead.
  4. Form the dough into a ball.  Lightly oil a large bowl and turn the dough ball into it and coat it with the oil.  Cover the bowl loosely with a kitchen towel and let the dough rise in a warm place until doubled in bulk, about 45 minutes.
  5. Spray a 9x5x3" loaf pan.  Punch the dough down and shape it into a loaf.  Press it into the prepared pan.  Cover it loosely and let the dough rise until it nearly fills the pan, for 1 hour.
  6. Preheat the oven to 375°.  Bake the bread until it is golden brown and the loaf sounds hollow when tapped, 30-35 minutes.  Remove the bread from the pan and let it cool completely on a wire rack.
  7. Store in a loose plastic bag with tie wrap or bread box.

Notes

Tips and Stuff:

Next time I will add another tablespoon of sugar, another quarter teaspoon of cayenne, and possibly some dried herbs.

My bread was done in 30 minutes.  Don't over bake it!

This makes a crusty loaf with soft interior.  If you want a softer top crust, brush milk over the top of the dough before baking.

Nutrition Information:
Yield: 12 slices Serving Size: 1 slice
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 169Total Fat: 5gSaturated Fat: 3gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 2gCholesterol: 41mgSodium: 142mgCarbohydrates: 26gFiber: 1gSugar: 0gProtein: 5g

Nutrition Values are Approximate

© The New Basics Cookbook
Category: Breads/Muffins

Crusty Bread (No-Knead and Baked in a Bowl!)

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I’ve had this No-Knead Crusty Bread recipe forever and finally decided to make it this weekend.

It’s an interesting recipe because the easy yeast dough is thrown together, then set aside on the counter for 12-18 hours. Glad I didn’t want bread right away!

You’re also supposed to bake it in a 3.5 quart cast iron pot (or dutch oven). After I’d already made the sticky, sticky dough, I realized my dutch oven is 6.5 quarts (I love my dutch oven), so made other baking plans.

I ended up baking the bread in the aluminum bowl that the dough had risen in – and it works!

I preheated the bowl in the oven, then dumped the dough into it and followed the rest of the recipe fairly closely.

The baking time was a little different since I was using a different vessel, but it rose nicely and made a crusty loaf with a sourdough-like texture (without the sourdough tang). It’s a dense, but fluffy bread with a wonderfully chewy crust.

You can bake this Crusty Bread it in a small cast iron pot if you have one, but if you don’t have one, just make it in a big ole aluminum bowl.

Besides the time for the dough to set before baking, it’s an easy, easy recipe and it makes a really delicious loaf of bread!

Crusty Bread No-Knead Baked in a Bowl

Crusty Bread (Baked in a Bowl!)

Yield: 6 - 8
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 50 minutes
Inactive Time: 12 hours
Total Time: 13 hours

Quick and easy (except for the overnight dough set) and very delicious!

Ingredients

  • 3 C all-purpose flour
  • 1 3/4 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp active dry yeast
  • 1 1/2 to 1 3/4 C room temperature water

Instructions

  1. Stir the flour, salt and yeast together in a big bowl.  Pour the water into the flour mixture and stir until well combined.  (If it seems a little dry, add the additional 1/4 cup of water - should be very sticky.)
  2. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let it sit on the counter or in a cool oven for 12-16 hours.
  3. Preheat the oven to 425°.  Spray a large aluminum bowl with cooking spray and put in the oven on the lowest rack. 
  4. Flour your hands and sprinkle a couple of tablespoons of flour over the dough. Lift the dough out of the bowl and loosely form the dough into a ball, incorporating the flour (don't handle it too much - just enough to form the  loose ball).  Plop the sticky dough (and it will be sticky) into the heated aluminum bowl and carefully cover tightly with aluminum foil.
  5. Bake covered for 30 minutes, then remove the aluminum foil and bake another 20 minutes until golden brown on top.  Carefully remove the bread from the bowl (it should slide right out) and let cool on a rack at least 30 minutes before slicing.

Notes

Tips and Stuff:

You can add ingredients (like parmesan cheese, fruit, nuts, etc.) during the first step if you like.  I like it just the way it is!

Don't overwork the dough when stirring it all together or the bread will be tough.  Just make sure everything is incorporated completely.

It doesn't take an entire packet of yeast - just 1/2 tsp., so store the leftover yeast well-sealed in the refrigerator.

Nutrition Information:
Yield: 8 Serving Size: 1 slice
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 171Total Fat: 0gSaturated Fat: 0gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 0gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 513mgCarbohydrates: 36gFiber: 1gSugar: 0gProtein: 5g

Nutrition Values are Approximate

© sblades
Category: Breads/Muffins

Traditional Focaccia – A Daring Baker’s Challenge

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For the month of April, Rachael of Pizzarossa and Sawsan of Chef in Disguise (from The Daring Bakers) took us on a trip to Italy. They challenged us to try our hands at making Traditional Focaccia from scratch.

I always loved the focaccia at the late, great Macaroni Grill restaurant and this one was very close to theirs.

This was my first attempt at focaccia and I think it went well. The dough came together nicely and didn’t end up splattered on the wall when I mixed it, so I considered that a success. Here’s the risen dough – you can see the nice specks of dried herbs scattered throughout:

Focaccia Dough

I went fairly strictly by the instructions, although instead of kneading it by hand, I used the Kitchen Aid. It works well that way and I can do other things while it mixes.

I had to add several tablespoons of extra flour while it was mixing, as it was very sticky and wasn’t coming together into a nice dough ball. After rising, the dough was beautiful and patted out nicely onto the parchment paper.

Focaccia Prebaked

The instructions said to bake at 450 for around 15 minutes and then put under the broiler until it becomes golden brown. Even at 12 minutes, it baked and browned entirely too quickly and didn’t need the broiler.

Maybe it’s my new oven, but next time I’ll turn down the temp to 400 and keep my eye on it. The edges were too dark for our tastes, but as soon as they were cut away, it left a beautiful and very tasty focaccia bread.

Focaccia Baked

Bret made a pot of his famous spaghetti sauce and we enjoyed the bread along with it. We had it the next day with some leftovers and it was still delicious.

Next time I’ll add more and different toppings – some of The Daring Bakers’ variations included potatoes, thinly sliced tomatoes, grilled onions and different kinds of cheeses. We’ll definitely make this again and experiment with baking temperatures and toppings!

Focaccia Loaf

Traditional Focaccia

Traditional Focaccia

Yield: 24 pieces
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Additional Time: 1 hour
Total Time: 1 hour 35 minutes

A nice version of traditional focaccia!

Ingredients

  • 1 1/4 C. milk, slightly warm to the touch
  • 1 tbsp. (one packet) active dry yeast
  • 1 tsp. granulated sugar
  • 2 3/4 C. all-purpose flour
  • 1 tsp. salt
  • 1 tsp. garlic powder
  • 1 tsp. dried oregano
  • 1 tsp. dried thyme
  • 1/2 tsp. dried basil
  • 1/4 tsp. ground black pepper
  • 1 tbsp. vegetable oil
  • 3 tbsp. grated Parmigiano Reggiano
  • Pitted, slice black olives
  • Sea salt
  • Olive oil
  • Rosemary, if desired

Instructions

  1. Mix the milk, yeast and sugar in a medium bowl - set aside.
  2. In a mixer bowl, stir together the flour, salt, garlic powder, oregano, thyme, basil, 1 tbsp. of the parmesan cheese and black pepper.  Mix in the vegetable oil, then add the milk-yeast mixture.
  3. Put dough paddle on mixer and turn on medium for 7-8 minutes, checking to make sure the dough is smooth and elastic.  Add a tablespoon or so of flour if the mixture is too sticky to form a dough ball (although it's supposed to be a little sticky).  (If you prefer, knead by hand on a lightly floured surface until smooth and elastic - about 10 minutes).
  4. Lightly oil a large bowl and place the dough into the bowl, turning to coat it with oil.  Cover with a cloth and let rise in a warm place until it doubles in size (about 1 hour).
  5. Center your oven rack and preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Punch dough down and placed on a greased baking sheet  or parchment paper.  Pat into a 1/2" thick rectangle or any shape you desire.  To give the dough the dimples effect, use your fingertips, pushing gently all over the surface of the dough.
  6. Brush top of dough liberally with olive oil, put the toppings on, and sprinkle generously with sea salt and the remaining parmesan.  Allow the dough to rest for 10-15 minutes.
  7. Bake for 13-15 minutes or until the sides begin to brown.  If you wish, before it's completely browned you can place under the broiler until the top becomes golden brown.  Serve warm.

Notes

Tips and Stuff


When using "wet" toppings, such as potatoes or tomatoes, be sure and dry them very well after slicing so they don't make the dough wetter.

Watch the bread carefully after about 10 minutes of baking.  It will brown quickly.

Best served fresh and warm.  If you don't use immediately, I recommend letting it cool, then freeze it until you need it.

Nutrition Information:
Yield: 24 Serving Size: 1 piece
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 74Total Fat: 2gSaturated Fat: 0gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 1gCholesterol: 2mgSodium: 141mgCarbohydrates: 12gFiber: 1gSugar: 0gProtein: 2g

Nutrition Values are Approximate

© sblades
Category: Breads/Muffins
 

Casatiello – Easter Bread

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I haven’t posted for over a week and am going through recipe withdrawal.  I’ve been kind of waiting with this one because the April Daring Baker’s challenge was due to be posted today and I’ve been involved in creating the bread along with trying to take some decent photos. 

My amateur photography skills don’t do this bread justice, but maybe you can get the gist of how it’s supposed to look!

Casatiello Sliced
The April Daring Baker’s Challenge was hosted by Wolf of Wolf’s Den . She challenged us to Spring into our kitchens and make Easter breads reflecting cultures around the world. I wanted to make something a little different, so chose Casatiello from Mangia Bene Pasta , a wonderful site for authentic Italian dishes.  

Casatiello is described as a traditional savory Easter bread from Naples, Italy, that is usually baked in paper bags or molds.  Not sure how this would work being baked in a paper bag without slopping out everywhere, but I guess they have their techniques!

Casatiello Sandwich
This cheese and meat-filled bread ended up being a dense, rather coarse bread that was really good toasted and buttered while warm.  But I also discovered it’s great when layered with fresh spinach and a slice of provolone cheese then grilled with butter in a skillet (you’ll notice a butter theme going here).

It took over 4 hours (!) to make, which to me is a long time to cook or bake anything, but the result was a savory bread that will be nice made into sandwiches or a side for a meat and potatoes dinner.

It really should make two loaves, but I made one very large loaf and several mini-loaves, which were really cute (and quite tasty…).

Casatiello MiniLoaf

Casatiello - Easter Bread

Casatiello

Yield: 2 loaves
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 50 minutes
Inactive Time: 4 hours 30 minutes
Total Time: 5 hours 40 minutes

Makes either two regular-sized loaves (recommended) or one giant loaf and several mini-loaves.

Ingredients

  • Sponge:
  • 1/2 C flour
  • 1 packet dry active yeast
  • 1 C warm buttermilk,, about 105°
  • Dough:
  • 2 oz. chopped pepperoni
  • 2 oz. chopped cooked sausage,, 1/4-inch cubes
  • 3 1/2 C. flour
  • 1 tsp. salt
  • 1 tbsp. sugar
  • 2 eggs,, slightly beaten
  • 6 oz. butter,, room temperature
  • 6 oz. shredded provolone
  • Olive oil for greasing pans and brushing on loaves

Instructions

  1. To make the sponge:  combine the flour and yeast in a bowl.  Stir in the buttermilk to make a pancake-like batter.  Cover with a kitchen towel or plastic wrap and allow to ferment for 1 hour.
  2. To make the dough:  Combine the flour, salt and sugar on low with the paddle attachment of your mixer.  Add the eggs and the sponge and combine the mixture until a very coarse dough forms. 
  3. Divide the butter into 5 or 6 small pieces and work into the dough, one piece at a time.  The dough will begin to get softer and more elastic. 
  4. Transfer the dough to a lightly floured surface at this point.  Knead the dough until smooth.  Add the pepperoni and sausage to the dough and knead until evenly distributed.  Add the shredded cheese and knead the dough again until the cheese is distributed. 
  5. Lightly grease a large bowl, transfer the dough to the bowl and turn it to coat all sides. Cover the bowl with a kitchen towel or plastic wrap.  Allow the dough to rise in a warm place for 1 1/2 to 2 hours or until the dough increases by 1 1/2 times in size.
  6. Divide the dough into 2 pieces for regular-sized loaves or pull 1/4 of the dough aside for mini-loaves and use the rest in a very large loaf pan.  Lightly grease the baking pans.  Shape the dough and place in the pan(s). 
  7. Cover the pans with a kitchen towel or plastic wrap.  Allow the loaves to rise for 60 to 90 minutes or until the dough reaches the top edge of the pan.  Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and lightly brush the tops of the loaves with olive oil.  Bake the loaves for 40 to 50 minutes or until golden brown.  Transfer the pans to a cooling rack and allow to cool in the pans for 10 to 15 minutes, then remove and allow to cool completely.

Notes

Tips and Stuff:

I used the minimum rising times and the dough rose beautifully.

The original recipe called for bread flour, but I used regular AP flour because that's what I had on hand.  The crumb may be a little less dense when using bread flour.

I baked the large loaf for 40 minutes and took the mini-loaves out after 30 minutes.

Add any meat you'd like - bacon, pepperoni, sausage, etc., as well as any cheese you may prefer (Asiago, cheddar, etc.)

You can stir in the ingredients and knead by hand if you don't have an electric mixer.

Nutrition Information:
Yield: 20 slices Serving Size: 1 slice
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 226Total Fat: 13gSaturated Fat: 7gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 5gCholesterol: 48mgSodium: 345mgCarbohydrates: 21gFiber: 1gSugar: 1gProtein: 7g

Nutrition Values are Approximate

© sblades
Category: Breads/Muffins