Easter Bread Ring

Prep Time:1 hrs
Cook Time:35 min
Yeild:12 servings

INGREDIENTS:

  • BREAD
  • 5 to 6 cups Pillsbury BEST® All Purpose Flour, divided
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 5 1/2 teaspoons active dry yeast
  • 1 teaspoon grated orange peel
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup milk
  • 3/4 cup Crisco® Butter Shortening
  • OR 3/4 stick Crisco® Butter Shortening Sticks
  • 2 teaspoons orange juice
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 3 large eggs, beaten
  • 6 hard boiled eggs
  • Crisco® Original No-Stick Cooking Spray
  • EGG WASH
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 tablespoon milk
  • GARNISH
  • Liquid food coloring
  • ORANGE GLAZE
  • 1 cup powdered sugar
  • 1 or 2 tablespoons orange juice

PREPARATION DIRECTIONS:

  1. 1.
    COMBINE 3 cups flour with sugar, yeast, orange peel and salt in large bowl. Mix until well blended.

  2. 2.
    HEAT milk in medium saucepan over medium high heat until just boiling. Remove from heat; add shortening and stir until melted. Stir in the orange juice and vanilla. Cool to 120ºF. Pour the milk mixture and the beaten eggs over the flour mixture.

  3. 3.
    MIX until a soft, sticky dough forms. Slowly stir in enough of remaining flour to make a soft dough. Knead 8 to 10 minutes. Cover with plastic wrap, place in a warm draft-free spot and let rise for 1 to 1 1/2 hours. Punch down dough; place in a lightly greased bowl, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.

  4. 4.
    SPRAY a baking sheet with no-stick cooking spray. Remove dough from the refrigerator; punch down. Divide the dough in half. On a floured surface, roll each piece into a rope about 24 inches long. Twist the ropes together; place the dough on prepared baking sheet, joining the ends together to form a ring shape.

  5. 5.
    PUSH the hard-boiled eggs, on their sides, between the spaces in the twisted ropes around the ring. Spray a piece of plastic wrap with no-stick cooking spray; cover bread with prepared plastic wrap. Let rise until doubled in size, about 1 1/2 hours.

  6. 6.
    HEAT oven to 350°F. Place the baking sheet with the bread in oven; bake 5 minutes. Beat egg with 1 tablespoon milk. Brush bread with egg wash; return to oven for about 25 to 30 minutes, until golden brown. Remove from oven and place on a wire cooling rack.

  7. 7.
    PLACE a few drops of liquid food coloring in a small dish. Using a cotton swab or small paint brush, carefully color each hardboiled egg. Let dry fully before drizzling on Orange Glaze.

  8.  
    ORANGE GLAZE

  9. 1.
    COMBINE glaze ingredients in small bowl; stir until smooth. Drizzle over cooled bread.
Easter Bread Ring