Easter Bread

Ingredients

• 2 packages yeast dissolved in 1/2 cup warm water
• 1 cup butter or margarine, melted
• 5 cup all purpose flour
• 1 1/4 cup sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 6 egg yolks
• 1 cup sour cream
• 1 8-ounce package cream cheese
• 2 whole eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 jar apricot jam
• powdered sugar

Directions

Prepare dough:

1. Sift flour with 3/4 c sugar.
2. Beat egg yolks until thick and light; blend in sour cream and melted butter; stir in dissolved yeast.
3. Gradually stir the egg yolk mixture into the dry ingredients, mixing to make a soft smooth dough.
4. Turn out on lightly floured board and knead for 5 minutes or until dough smooth.
5. Let rise to twice size.

Prepare filling:

1. Cream the cheese, 1/2 c sugar, the whole eggs and vanilla.

Assembling:

1. Punch down dough and knead a few minutes.
2. Roll out dough into large circle about 18" in diameter and lay over a greased 3-qt ring mold.
3. Fit the dough down into bottom and sides of ring mold and let hang over outside.
4. Pour in cheese filling.
5. Lift outside edges of dough and lap over filling, sealing to inside ring of dough.
6. Cut a cross in the dough which covers the center of the ring mold and fold each triangle back over the ring.
7. Let rise until doubled.

Bake:

1. Bake in moderate oven (350F) for 40 minutes or until golden brown and a toothpick comes out clean.
2. Allow to cool 10 minutes before turning out.
3. When cool, heat jam until runny and spoon over ring.
4. Dust with powdered sugar.

Notes

It's important to seal carefully. Otherwise the filling will bubble out and it won't be like it's supposed to be. Martina 02:49, 4 April 2010 (UTC)