This is from the All Recipes website...
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Choereg (Armenian Easter Bread)
Prep Time:
6 Hrs
Cook Time:
25 Min
Ready In:
6 Hrs 25 Min
Makes 30 servings
Ingredients
* 1 cup whole milk
* 1 cup unsalted butter
* 1 cup margarine
* 1 cup white sugar
* 1/2 cup lukewarm water
* 2 teaspoons white sugar
* 2 (.25 ounce) envelopes active dry yeast
* 5 eggs
* 6 cups all-purpose flour, or as needed
* 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
* 1 1/2 tablespoons ground mahleb
* 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
* 1 egg, beaten
* 1 tablespoon sesame seeds
Directions
1. In a saucepan over medium heat, combine the milk, butter and
margarine. Heat until butter and margarine are melted, but do not let it boil.
Stir in 1 cup of sugar until dissolved, then set aside to cool to lukewarm.
2. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, dissolve 2 teaspoons of sugar in warm
water. Sprinkle the yeast over the surface, and let stand until frothy, about
10 minutes.
3. Crack the eggs into a large bowl, and stir a little to break up the
yolks. Slowly pour in the heated milk mixture while whisking constantly, so as
to temper the eggs and not cook them. Add the yeast mixture, and stir just
until blended.
4. In a large bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, mahleb, and salt.
Make a well in the center, and pour in the wet mixture. Stir until it forms a
sticky dough. Pour onto a floured surface, and knead in additional flour as
needed to make a more substantial dough. Knead for about 10 minutes. Place in
an oiled bowl, and set in a warm place to rise for about 2 hours, or until
doubled in size.
5. When the dough has doubled, punch down again, and let rise until
doubled. It will only take about half as long this time.
6. Separate the dough into 5 even portions, then separate each of those
into thirds. Roll each of those into ropes about 12 inches long. Braid sets of
three ropes together, pinching the ends to seal, and tucking them under for a
better presentation. Place the loaves onto baking sheets lined with parchment
paper. Loaves should be spaced 4 inches apart. Set in a warm place to rise
until your finger leaves an impression behind when you poke the loaf gently.
7. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Brush the loaves
with beaten egg, and sprinkle with sesame seeds.
8. Bake for 25 minutes in the preheated oven, or until nicely golden
brown all over.
Footnotes
*
* Hint
* You may preheat the oven to 200 degrees F (95 degrees C) while
mixing, and then turn it off and let it cool down to about 100 degrees. Place
your dough in there to proof with the oven light on, and it will rise much
faster.
�...@~@~...@~@~...@~@~...@~
Rhonda G in Missouri
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
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