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I want to warn before I start that I have experienced help when I make this and we have a large commercial quality mixer and very large bowls. This recipe should be cut in half for most of you. This is not easy to make and takes a long time. I suggest that someone who really knows what she is doing help you the first time. Important notes: The measures are given in volume and not weight, which means you have to be careful about the amounts; the dough is fairly sticky but should still be manageable. Use the very best flour you can get your hands on; we use King Arthur unbleached all-purpose; do not use any horse feed flour like you would make muffins for hippys with. This recipe was developed at about 330 ft. above sea level; that makes a difference.
INGREDIENTS
SPONGE:
1 C warm water
2 t sugar
2 T yeast
1 C flour
DOUGH:
9 to 11 C flour (start with 9 cups and add flour to desired consistency later. It will require about 10C.)
4 eggs, then enough scalded milk to fill 3 C total (do not add the milk to the eggs, measure the eggs then measure the milk to make up the difference. Scald the milk keeping eggs separate at all times.)
1 1/2 C sugar
2 sticks butter
2 T salt
1 T mace
1 1/2 t lemon extract
1 1/2 t vanilla
FOLDING:
2 sticks butter
2 eggs (to be smeared on outside)
Small amount of vegetable oil (we use Canola oil)
GLAZE:
About 3/4 cup of sugar in thirds and colored with food coloring to make purple, green, and yellow (gold) for final garnish.
1 to 2 cups of confectioners sugar mixed with a few tablespoons of milk to get desired consistency for glaze.
THE PROCESS
SPONGE
Start the sponge. Put the water in a fair sized bowl, gallon sized. Add flour, sugar, yeast and stir until mixed. Place in a warm space that you can see. You may have to stir it down a few times. This will also show you that your yeast is good. If it isn’t, go get some yeast that is because you don’t want to work all day for something that isn’t going to work.
DOUGH
Crack eggs into a measuring cup to see volume (about 7/8 C). Using a separate measuring cup measure the difference in milk to make up the 3 C (about 2 1/8 C). Scald the milk, don’t boil it. Add the 2 sticks of butter to the milk after it has scalded. This cools down the milk and melts the butter. Add the milk to the mixer. Use hook on mixer.
Add flavorings to eggs and beat until blended.
Lightly mix sugar and 9 C flour in a large bowl. Add some flour and sugar to mixer, mix a little, and add sponge if sponge is ready and eggs. Add remainder of flour and sugar. Hook mix on slow until dough is formed. You will have to scrape the bowl a few times. If the dough is too sticky, add more flour, up to two cups. The dough should be a little sticky.
Place dough in warm location and cover with a warm damp cloth. Let rise, takes about 2 hours.
FOLDING
Separate dough into 3 sections, shape into rectangular loaf shapes, and place on lightly oiled plates. Immediately refrigerate.
Cut two sticks of butter lengthwise, each into thirds. Using wax paper, roll butter into rectangular sheets and refrigerate.
Roll one loaf of dough into a flat rectangle, place a flat of butter in the middle, fold over a third, place another flat of butter on top of the folded section and fold the final section over. Place loaf on plate and return to fridge. Repeat for remaining loaves.
Take each loaf out of fridge individually and roll into a rectangle, fold into thirds, roll again, fold into thirds again and return to fridge.
One at a time, take each loaf out, roll, fold into thirds, roll again this time using hard pressure but not so hard as to damage more than the outer most layer. (Brief note: this is not easy to do. You want it as flat as you can get it and as well formed as you can get it without tearing it up too much.) Cut into 6 equal strips. Lightly stretch the strips as much as you can without substantially damaging them, gently turning them into extremely elongated rectangles, maybe like planks on the back of a chair. Braid three strips at a time into 2 loaves per single previous loaf. Place loaves on a lightly oiled baking sheet. Repeat for remaining loaves.
(Important note here: If you want to curve the loaves into a ring then now is when to do it. The strips can be pinched together and the braid continued to make the traditional crown shape. I don’t do that because it takes up too much oven space.)
Cover loaves and allow to rise, 2 hours or so, or over night for breakfast cake.
Mix two eggs together and rub on the outside of the loaves. Bake at about 400 F for about 20 min.
GLAZE
Put confectioners sugar in a small bowl and add extremely small amounts of milk until desired consistency is reached. Drizzle over loaves. Sprinkle colored sugar in splotches over glaze.
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