Easter wreath

To prepare the Easter wreath, we will need the following ingredients: wheat flour, medium-fat sour cream (I have 20%), medium-sized chicken eggs (45-50 grams each), refined vegetable (I use sunflower) oil, salt, sugar and high-speed yeast. All ingredients for the dough must be at room temperature. For the filling, take dried apricots, prunes and peeled walnuts, as well as a little sugar. To lubricate the blanks, 1 egg yolk will be needed (we will take it from the dough) and milk. If desired, the finished baking can be decorated with sugar glaze, which is made of their powdered sugar and lemon juice.

First of all, we will make the preparation of yeast dough. It is more convenient to do all this in a bread maker or test, but it is very easy to mix it with your hands (manual kneads can be seen in the recipe for the outfits with fish). Depending on the model of the bread maker, the laying of the ingredients can be of two types: first liquid, then bulk and vice versa. I have the first option. We pour vegetable oil (without smell), sour cream and break the eggs into the bakery container (1 yolk is carefully taken and transferred to a separate bowl — it will be needed later). We rub the zest of one lemon into the container.

Now add sifted wheat flour of the highest grade. I always use the same flour (Lida), so the grammar is always the same. You can leave more or less flour — it depends on its quality (product moisture).

At the end, pour salt, sugar and vanilla sugar, as well as high-speed yeast on different corners of the bowl.

In my bread maker, the dough mode provides for the duration of kneading and proofing exactly 1 hour. But I don't like it so much, because the yeast test is at least 2 hours. That is why I recommend that you do as follows: we exhibit the main (3 hours) program or French bread (3 hours 50 minutes). The batch begins: on the first program, the first batch lasts 10 minutes, and in the second — 15 minutes. So much time is enough to knead the dough well and get an elastic, but at the same time soft and delicate bun. Literally after 5 minutes from the beginning of the batch, it must be formed. Moreover, this is a very important point, because the quality and humidity of the flour is different, therefore this product may require more or less than according to the recipe. If the bun can still not form, feel free to add a tablespoon of flour and follow the batch. When the dough completely moves away from the walls and will be quite elastic (that is, not to spread, but to keep the shape well), we stop the addition of flour. This is what my bun looked after 6 minutes of batch. Now leave the dough alone and let him grow up. It will take about 1 hour 40 minutes (main) or 2 hours 25 minutes (French bread), during which the bread machine will take a fry twice (three times). I prefer to use the second program. If you knead the dough with your hands, knead it for 10-15 minutes, then tighten the bowl with a film or cover with a towel. The fermentation of the dough lasts in the warmth for 2 hours. After 1 hour, we make a light grinder of the dough, rounding and repeated fermentation for another 1 hour.

While the dough wanders, the yolk that we separated is mixed with 1 tablespoon of milk and so far we set aside. We will need this mixture to lubricate the workpiece (for brown brown).

We use dried apricots and prunes without bones (if any, delete) — the ingredients indicate the net weight. My dried fruits and pour steep boiling water. We leave it to steam for about 15 minutes or until they become soft enough.

After that, drain the liquid, and dry the dried fruits and cut into a small cube. I advise you to additionally fry the peeled walnuts in a dry pan, then they will become even more fragrant and more crispy. Smilely chop the fried nuts with a knife, then mix with a tablespoon of sugar. 3 fillings for Easter wreath are ready.

When the dough is suitable, it will be airy and very tender. Turn off the program when on the timer will be 1:10 (main and French bread). That is, we take out the dough 10 minutes before the assistant begins to bake bread.

It remains to sprinkle the yeast dough to release air, transfer it to the board (plate) and proceed to molding the blanks.

We divide the dough into 3 pieces of the same size (it is advisable to use kitchen weights so that the blanks are of the same weight). This is important not only from an aesthetic point of view, but also in order for the baking to evenly part and bake the same way. We roll each piece in a ball and put on a plate, cover with a film or a towel so that the surface of the dough does not bend.

Now take one piece of dough and roll it into a long and rather thin layer. I intentionally did not measure the exact length, but offhand 45-50 centimeters. This yeast dough is completely not sticky, so you can not plow the working surface with flour.

We evenly distribute one filling to one edge of the dough — let it be, for example, from dried apricots.

Gently cover the filling with a layer of dough.

Then we wrap the dough with the filling into a tight tourniquet, not forgetting to carefully engage in the seam. Put the workpiece a little on the table, additionally lengthening it.

Similarly, we act with the rest of the two parts of the yeast dough (the filling is prunes and walnuts). As a result, you get 3 long harnesses, which we lay side by side.

Starting from the middle, we braided the not very tight braid, while we pinch the ends, but very weakly. Then weave a braid on the contrary from the other end.

We transfer the braid to the baking sheet covered with parchment (I have a Teflon rug). We give the shape of a wreath, trying to carefully connect the ends of the bundles. We put in the center either a glass or something suitable (I use a molding ring) so that when decorating the dough grows up, and not to the center. We cover the Easter wreath with a towel or cling film and leave in a warm place for lifting for 35-40 minutes. At this time, we turn on the oven to heat up at 175-180 degrees (I have gas, lower heating).

Before baking, carefully take out the shape that kept the workpiece in the center, grease the braid with egg yolk with milk.

We bake the Easter wreath about 45-60 minutes at the average level of the oven at 180 degrees. The finished yeast braid is blurry and incredibly appetizing. Let the pastries cool slightly.

In the meantime, we will make the preparation of glaze (optional). To do this, we need only lemon juice and sugar powder.

Since I make the powder myself (using a coffee grinder), I know exactly how much and what for the glaze I personally need. You adjust the density of the sugar glaze yourself. Combine sugar with lemon juice.

Just rub everything with a fork or spoon until the powder is completely dissolved. If necessary, add more liquids or powder.

We water the still warm Easter wreath with glaze. I placed baking on the bars, which I put on a baking sheet so that the excess glaze of the glass. And at the end, I decided to decorate the Easter wreath with almond petals, but this is not necessary.

We give our fragrant and insanely tasty festive pastries to cool and you can enjoy. It is really delicious — the finest crust, delicate and very soft dough, a variety of fillings … With milk — incredible pleasure for lovers of home baking. Prepare for health and pleasant to you appetite, friends!