New Year's Bread

Makes 1 huge loaf

Rachel

Our special annual New Year’s bread. This makes a gigantic loaf--but it keeps forever, and is so worth it.

ingredients

6-8 cups flour
1/2 cup lukewarm milk
1/2 pound melted butter
6 eggs, slightly beaten
2 packages yeast, dissolved in 1/2 cup warm water with a pinch of sugar to ensure it is alive
2 cups sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
Zest of one orange (try to use organic to avoid the bitter flavor from pesticide)
blanched almonds
sesame seeds
egg yolk

1
Sift 6 cups of flour into a large bowl. Make a well in the center. Combine milk, yeast, and water, melted butter, eggs, sugar, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and orange peel. Mix thoroughly with a wooden spoon until well blended. Usually the dough is very wet and requires at least two more cups of flour, add flour until it forms a kneadable dough.
2
Knead until the dough is smooth and firm, continuing to add more flour as necessary, about 8 minutes. Place dough in a greased bowl, brush with melted butter, cover, and allow to rise in a warm place for two hours.
3
Punch down and knead again lightly for one minute. If making for New Year’s, I bury a quarter in it at this point. Shape dough into a round on a greased baking sheet.
4
Cover dough and let rise again for one hour. When dough is risen the second time, brush with the egg yolk, sprinkle generously with blanched almonds and/or sesame seeds.
5
Bake in a 350 degree oven for one hour.