Festive Bread

Submitted by Bulgarian Chef

"This is an old authentic recipe for Bulgarian bread, baked on festive occasions like New Year's Eve, christenings, weddings, etc. It takes a bit of time to prepare, but is worth every second of it. It looks great, tastes fantastic and your guests would be impressed."

 

• Ready In: 3hrs
• Ingredients: 9
• Serves: 8

ingredients

• 8 cups flour
• 2 eggs
• 1⁄4 ounce yeast
• 1 cup soda water
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 2 -3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 1⁄4 cups warm milk
• 1⁄2 cup butter

directions

1. Put the yeast in 1/3 of the warm milk and add the sugar and 1/2 cup flour. Stir and let rest until doubled.
2. In a deep bowl sieve the flour and make a well in the middle. Add the salt, 1 whole egg and 1 egg white, the risen yeast, the rest of the warm milk and the soda water.
3. Knead until bubbles appear on the dough. Make it into a ball, raise it and hit it strong 100 times on the table/counter top. (That's the secret to its amaizingly light texture).
4. Knead again and divide into 3 equal parts. Roll each part into a rectangle about 10 inches long.
5. Brush the first rectangle with melted butter, place the second on top, brush with butter and place the third one on top, again brushed with butter.
6. Roll the stack into a single roll and cut it into eight pieces. Place one slice in the middle of the buttered baking tray, arranging the left seven pices around it.
7. Cover with a cloth and leave to rest in a warm place until it doubles in size.
8. Pour the olive oil into the remaining egg yolk , stir and brush the bread with it.
9. Bake in a preheated oven at 375 degrees F about an hour. After taking it out of the oven sprinkle with cold water and cover with a cloth.