I used to help my grandmother make this bread each year. For all us kids we would make smaller braids, form them in a circle, put a dyed hard boiled egg in the center and 2 thin strips of dough to hold the egg in place. They were so pretty and we each got our own little loaf. I can't remember what that hard boiled egg was like but it was already cooked and then cooked again in the oven - must have been like a golf ball.
So, we're set for Easter bread for a while...….minus a couple that will be saved for family.
Anise braids - looks and sounds yummy! Did you ever cut the recipe in half - or even thirds?
ReplyDeletePeg, my cousin Jim has cut the recipe in half and says it works just fine, I may try that next time. Years ago we tried cutting it down further and it just didn't taste the same. My aunt had once cut it down far enough to use her mixer for the kneading, that definitely didn't taste the same and the texture was totally different.
DeleteI made this at Easter, using a recipe you posted a couple of years ago. I scaled the recipe down by 1/5, so it made 2 loaves.
ReplyDeleteQuestion for you - do you grind the anise seeds or use them whole?
Diane, I use the anise seeds whole, that's what my grandmother always did.
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