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Ingredients:1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup milk 1/2 cup water 6 to 6-1/2 cups flour 2 packages dry yeast 1 teaspoon salt 1 cup sugar 2 teaspoons orange extract 4 eggs |
Other supplies:2 large mixing bowls
1 large baking sheet plastic wrap cooking spray wire cooling rack |
Preheat oven to 350°
Heat the butter, milk and water in a saucepan over a medium flame until it is very warm but not boiling. If you do heat it too much, just remove from the stove and let cool a bit before adding it to the dry ingredients.
In the meantime, put 1-1/2 cups of the flour with the yeast, salt and sugar into a large mixing bowl. Beat in the warm liquid until well combined. Add the orange extract and the eggs, one at a time. Continue to beat. Beat in another cup of flour. Continue adding more flour until the dough is soft but not sticky. Dust you hands with flour and knead the dough on a lightly floured surface for ten minutes until it is smooth and elastic.
Lightly spray a large bowl with cooking spray and place dough in it, cover tightly with plastic wrap. Be sure to spray the bottom side of the plastic wrap, too. Let the dough rise in a warm place for about 1-1/2 hours or until it has doubled in size. Punch the dough down and shape into two round loaves. Roll out a little of the dough into 4 "bones". Cross the "bones" and stretch them across the top of the loaves. You may need to use a little water to moisten them so they will stick to loaves. Put the loaves on a large baking sheet lightly sprayed with cooking spray. Cover them loosely with more plastic wrap but be sure that it is also sprayed with cooking spray and sealed along the edge of the baking sheet. Leave them in a warm place to rise for 1 hour.
Bake at 350° for 30-40 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from oven, paint on glaze and sprinkle with additional sugar. Cool completely on wire rack before slicing.
In the meantime, put 1-1/2 cups of the flour with the yeast, salt and sugar into a large mixing bowl. Beat in the warm liquid until well combined. Add the orange extract and the eggs, one at a time. Continue to beat. Beat in another cup of flour. Continue adding more flour until the dough is soft but not sticky. Dust you hands with flour and knead the dough on a lightly floured surface for ten minutes until it is smooth and elastic.
Lightly spray a large bowl with cooking spray and place dough in it, cover tightly with plastic wrap. Be sure to spray the bottom side of the plastic wrap, too. Let the dough rise in a warm place for about 1-1/2 hours or until it has doubled in size. Punch the dough down and shape into two round loaves. Roll out a little of the dough into 4 "bones". Cross the "bones" and stretch them across the top of the loaves. You may need to use a little water to moisten them so they will stick to loaves. Put the loaves on a large baking sheet lightly sprayed with cooking spray. Cover them loosely with more plastic wrap but be sure that it is also sprayed with cooking spray and sealed along the edge of the baking sheet. Leave them in a warm place to rise for 1 hour.
Bake at 350° for 30-40 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from oven, paint on glaze and sprinkle with additional sugar. Cool completely on wire rack before slicing.
Glaze
1/2 cup sugar
1/3 cup fresh orange juice
2 tablespoons finely grated orange zest
Bring to a boil for 2 minutes. Apply to bread with a pastry brush. Sprinkle with additional sugar while the glaze is still wet.
1/3 cup fresh orange juice
2 tablespoons finely grated orange zest
Bring to a boil for 2 minutes. Apply to bread with a pastry brush. Sprinkle with additional sugar while the glaze is still wet.