This great traditional sweet Easter bread is great with icing and sprinkles. Try it toasted too. Great as a dessert, with coffee or even for breakfast.
Ingredients:
1/2 tbsp. sugar
1/2 cup lukewarm potato water
1 pkg yeast
1 1/2 cups light creme
1 1/2 cups sugar
5 eggs, separated
8 cups flour
3/4 cup butter
1/4 cup lemon
1/2 tsp vanilla
Directions:
Dissolve 1/2 tbsp sugar in potato water. Sprinkle yeast over mixture and let stand. Scald creme and 1/4 cup sugar. Cool. Beat egg yolks and add to creme mixture along with yeast and half of the flour to make sponge. Beat all together and let rise for 45 minutes. Beat egg whites.
Add remaining sugar, butter, grated rind and juice of lemon and vanilla. Add beaten egg whites.
Knead in remaining flour to make soft dough. Continue kneading until dough is smooth and begins to rise. Place dough in lightly greased bowl – cover – let rise till double.
Shape dough and put into loaf pans 1\3 to 1\2 full.
Let sit in warm place until the dough rises over the edge of pan. Bake at 250 degrees for 1 hour.
After it is cool, apply regular butter icing to the top and decorate with colorful sprinkles.
