Egg Bread

My grandfather (Nick Flora) baked pies and egg bread. He also made pasta by hand - meaning he mixed the dough, rolled it out on the dining room table, sliced it with a paring knife, and let it air dry before turning it in dinner. As kids, we were told it was spaghetti, but as an adult, I think it was really fettuccini.

He share this recipe for his favorite bread with me verbally on April 1, 1995.

Ingredients

• 5 eggs (4 in bread, 1 on top)
• 6 cups flour
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup melted butter
• 2 Tablespoons oil
• 1 Tablespoon vanilla
• 1 1/4 cups hot water
• 1 pack dry yeast
• 1 teaspoon salt

Instructions

1. Mix together some flour, salt, sugar, and yeast
2. Heat liquids (water, oil, butter, but no eggs) to 120°
3. Add liquids to dry ingredients mixed together in step 1
4. Add eggs and continue to mix
5. Add more flour (as the mixer allows)
6. Add remaining flour
7. Kneed for 5 minutes by hand
8. Place the dough in a bowl and let it rise for at least an hour
9. Punch down dough
10. Turn out on to the counter; let it rest (covered) for 10 minutes
11. Divide dough into thirds, and again in to 3 balls each
12. Roll out and braid together
13. Place on a greased cookie sheet
14. Let ride until doubled in size, about 40 minutes
15. Brush with egg yolk
16. Bake at 350° for 25-30 minutes
17. Bread is ready if you tap it on the bottom and it sounds hollow

For Easter, my grandfather would weave eggs in to the bread; I am not sure if they were hard boiled or just cooked along with the bread.