CZECH SWEET EASTER BREAD
INGREDIENTS:
- 450g Pernerka Fine White Spelt Flour
- 100g icing sugar
- 80g unsalted butter
- 3 egg yolks
- 150ml single cream (at room temperature)
- 80ml lukewarm milk
- 50g raisins
- 50g chopped almonds, plus some more for sprinkling
- Zest of one lemon
- 5g dried yeast or 5g easy bake yeast
- A pinch of salt
TIPS AND TRICKS:
Soak the raisins in rum they day before baking. This will create more intense flavour. If you’d like to omit use of an alcohol, we still recommend you soak the raisins in warm water.
INSTRUCTIONS:
1) Mix the dried yeast with lukewarm milk in a small bowl. Set aside and leave the yeast to activate. If using easy bake yeast, you can skip this step, just mix the yeast with the rest of the ingredients.
2) Place flour and salt into a large bowl, mix and make a well in the centre. Pour in the yeast-milk mixture and cream. Add sugar, egg yolks, softened butter, raisins, almonds and lemon zest and mix everything with a wooden spoon.
3) Tip the mixture onto a flat surface and knead until you get a nice smooth ball of dough. Put the dough back into the bowl, cover and leave it to rise in a warm place for one hour.
4) Tip the proofed dough onto a floured surface and shape it into a nice round loaf. Place the bread onto a baking sheet/tray lined with parchment paper, cover and let it rise for a further 30 minutes.
5) Using a sharp knife or a razor blade, make a shallow cut in the shape of a cross on top of the bread.
6) Sprinkle with chopped almonds and bake it in the preheated oven at 160C/140C fan for 50 minutes.
7) Cool down before serving. Enjoy!