Blossom Bread: A Mouthwatering Easter Delight!

1. In a large bowl, whisk together 4 cups of flour, yeast, white sugar, and salt. In a saucepan over low heat, melt unsalted butter with milk until the mixture is warm, about 110 degrees F (43 degrees C).

2. Gradually whisk about 1/3 of the butter-milk mixture into beaten eggs, then return egg mixture back into the remaining milk mixture. Stir lemon zest into liquid ingredients, setting aside lemon juice for later. Pour liquid ingredients into flour mixture, and stir until thoroughly combined.

3. Add enough flour to make a soft dough; turn dough out onto a floured surface, and knead until smooth and elastic, 8 to 10 minutes. Place dough into an oiled bowl, and turn dough around to cover surface lightly with oil. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap, and allow to rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1 hour. Punch down dough, and allow to rest for 10 minutes.

4. Divide dough in half, and roll each half into a round ball. On a floured surface, roll out a ball into a 12-inch circle. Place a drinking glass, face down, into the center of the circle to prevent cutting dough too far into the center. Cut dough with a knife, from the edge of dough circle to the rim of the glass, into quarters. Cut each quarter into 5 narrow wedge-shaped strips. (Center of dough is uncut.) Remove the drinking glass. There are 20 narrow wedge-shaped strips surrounding the uncut center of dough.

5. Pick up two adjacent strips, and twist them together about 4 times; pinch the ends of the two pieces together at the top. Gently coil to form a rough flower shape. Arrange round into the middle of circle, where the drinking glass was.

6. Pick up two more adjacent strips, and twist and pinch them as before; coil them into a rough round, and arrange new petal next to the center rosette. Repeat with remaining 16 strips, twisting and pinching them in twos, coiling and arranging them into 8 more petals around the center rosette. Finished bread has 9 petals surrounding the center round. Repeat steps with second ball of dough to make two breads.

7. Grease a baking sheet, or line with parchment paper. Place shaped breads onto the prepared baking sheet, reshaping them into rounds if needed; cover with a clean kitchen towel, and place into a warm spot to rise until almost doubled, 30 to 45 minutes.

8. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Beat egg yolk with water in a small bowl, and brush mixture over both breads.

9. Bake in the preheated oven until breads have turned golden brown, about 25 minutes. Allow to cool.

10. Use your fingers to gently deepen the indentations in the center of each petal, and fill each with about 1/2 to 1 teaspoon of raspberry jam. Mix reserved lemon juice and confectioners’ sugar in a bowl to form a glaze; drizzle glaze in thin lines all over both breads. Allow glaze to set. To serve, pull petals apart.

    

Tips

Before making the dish, be sure to look at the pictures for how it is formed. 

Lemon curd is an option to replace the jam.