Easter Bread

Ingredients

Dough

• 1 Tbsp active dry yeast

• 1/4 cup plus 1 teaspoon sugar

• 1 1/4 cup warm water (about 110 degrees)

• 1 teaspoon salt

• 1/4 cup butter, melted and cooled

• 2 eggs, lightly beaten

• 5 to 5 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

Filling

• 1 cup Quark

• 2 eggs, lightly beaten

• 1/2 cup powdered sugar

• 2 teaspoon lemon zest

• 1/2 cup raisins

Instructions

Mix the yeast and 1 teaspoon of the sugar in the water in a small bowl, let stand for 5-10 minutes or until foamy. In the bowl of a stand mixer with a whisk attachment, place the salt, ¼ cup sugar, and one cup of the flour.  Mix in the yeast, butter, and eggs and beat until smooth. Switch to a dough attachment and gradually beat in enough flour so that the dough starts to pull away from the sides of the bowl.

Turn the dough out onto a floured board and knead until smooth and satiny, about 10 minutes. Add flour as needed to prevent sticking. Place dough in a greased bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place until doubled (about 1 1/2 hours).

Grease a springform pan, I recommend a 10-inch pan for this recipe.  Gently turn the dough onto a lightly floured board. Divide the dough into three equal pieces and roll into balls. Roll one dough ball into a circle the size of your springform pan and place in the bottom. If the dough shrinks up, let it relax for ten minutes then stretch it to fit. Take the other two dough balls and roll each into a rope about three feet long. Lightly flour the ropes then twist them together and place them around the rim of the springform pan, pressing the ends together to form a sealed circle. If desired, place a greased cake pan or bowl in the center to help the rope hold its shape. Cover and let rise 30 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. In a small bowl, combined the quark, eggs, powdered sugar, lemon zest, and raisins and set aside. Whisk together one egg with 1 teaspoon water. Brush the dough with egg wash. Place the pan on the lowest rack of the oven and bake for 10 minutes.  After 10 minutes, remove the center cake pan (if you used it to hold the shape) and pour the filling into the center of the rope circle.  Return the pan to the oven for an additional 25-30 minutes or until a deep golden brown.  The filling will be soft but will set as it cools.

Best served at room temperature.  Sprinkle with powdered sugar if desired.