Nisu Bread

Instructions

BREAD:

Pour the milk into a large saucepan.

Over medium heat, bring the milk just to the boiling point but do not let it boil. Turn off the heat and add the butter to the warm milk. Stir occasionally until the butter is completely melted.

Add the sugar to the butter mixture and stir it in well. Set the pan aside and let the mixture cool to room temperature.

In a 2 cup measuring cup or bowl, add the ¼ cup warm water. Sprinkle the yeast over the water then add the 1 tablespoon of sugar. Stir to combine. Let the yeast mixture rise until it is triple in size.

Beat the two eggs.

Add the beaten eggs to the cooled room temperature milk mixture.  Pour the milk mixture into a large bowl or into the bowl of stand mixer.

Add the yeast mixture and the cardamom to the bowl.

Start adding the first 5 cups of flour slowly to the bowl, stirring into the wet ingredients. You are trying to achieve a pliable, soft dough that is no longer sticky. Add the additional flour, ½ cup at a time, possibly but not certainly up to 7 cups, mixing well after each addition until this is achieved. You may not need all of the remaining flour.

If you have a Kitchen Aid mixer, use the paddle attachment to mix the first 5 cups of flour into the wet ingredients. Remove the paddle and replace it with the dough hook. Adding ½ cup flour at a time, turn the mixer on and knead after each ½ cup flour addition until your dough is no longer sticky. Keep the speed low.

If you do not have a Kitchen Aid mixer, move the dough to a floured board with a lightly floured work surface and knead the dough with the palms of your hands for several minutes until it is pliant.

Add the dough to a large greased bowl. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and put it in a warm place. Let the dough rise for 1½ to 2 hours until it has doubled in size.

Remove the dough from the bowl and punch it down so it deflates.

Place dough onto a large board with a lightly floured work surface.

Cut the dough in half. Cut each half into 3 equal pieces. Rubbing the pieces of dough between the palms of your hands, create 3 long ropes of equal length and width.

Take 3 of the ropes and braid them together to create a loaf. This is a similar process as How to Braid a 3 Strand Challah Bread. If you have never braided a bread before, you should reference this.

Repeat this process for the second loaf. If you are adding colored eggs, tuck them into the braids.

Place the loaves on greased cookie sheets and put them in a warm place, lightly covered with plastic wrap. Let them rise until they have doubled in size, for 1½ to 2 hours.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Place your oven rack in the center of the oven.

Lightly brush the tops of the loaves with the beaten egg and milk mixture.

Bake the bread for about 30 minutes until golden brown. The bread should sound hollow when tapped.

Remove the breads to wire racks and cool.

ICING:

Combine the confectionary sugar, milk and vanilla in a small bowl. You want to have a fairly thick but pourable glaze that can be easily drizzled over the breads. If you need to thin the glaze out a bit, add more milk, one teaspoon at a time.

With a teaspoon, drizzle the glaze over the breads.