Houska

This decorative Bohemian sweet bread is a beautiful edible bread sculpture. It’s not easy to make, but is sure to impress your guests! Try serving it warm for breakfast.

Step: 1

Heat the milk in a small saucepan until it bubbles, then remove from heat. Stir in the butter until melted; let cool to lukewarm.

Step: 2

In a small mixing bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water. Let stand until creamy, about 10 minutes. In another small bowl, combine 2 whole eggs with the egg yolk; beat lightly.

Step: 3

In a large mixing bowl, mix together 4 cups flour, white sugar, salt, lemon zest, mace and nutmeg. Make a well in the center of this mixture and pour in the cooled milk, yeast mixture and beaten eggs. Beat well until a loose dough forms. Cover with a damp cloth and let rise in a warm place until doubled in volume, about 3 hours.

Step: 4

Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Gently knead the dough and gradually incorporate the remaining cup of flour. Continue kneading until the dough is smooth and elastic, about 10 minutes.

Step: 5

Divide dough into 3 portions; 1 small, 1 medium and 1 large (or one the size of a tangerine, one the size of an orange and one the size of a grapefruit). Cut the largest piece of dough in half and roll it out into 2 long ropes about 30 inches long. Twist the ropes together and place into a 8 inch diameter spiral and place it on a lightly greased cookie sheet. Cut the medium size piece of dough in half and roll out into 2 ropes about 20 inches long each. Twist the ropes together and place in a ring on top of the first circle of dough. Roll the smallest piece of dough into a rope about 12 inches long. Coil this rope on top of the other dough. The completed loaf should look like a pyramid.

Step: 6

Place the uncovered loaf in an unheated oven to rise until doubled in size, about 2 hours. Remove the loaf from oven and preheat to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C).

Step: 7

Lightly beat the reserved egg white and brush over the loaf. Bake at 325 degrees F (165 degrees C) for 30 to 40 minutes or until lightly browned. If bread starts to brown too quickly, cover with aluminum foil and continue baking. Cool on wire rack.

Per Serving: 257 calories; protein 6.5g; carbohydrates 38.2g; fat 8.6g; cholesterol 47.2mg; sodium 65.7mg.

The best flavour of the flour could make a real deal to your bread. Different brands do vary. Great taste or Canadian flours, which are naturally higher in gluten, may give you a better rise than standard dough flours – especially if you’re making wholemeal dough , which doesn’t always rise as well as white bread.

To make this in a dough , add all the menus to your breadmaker and follow the makers instructions.

A bread first rising can be done in the fridge 24 hours . This slows down the time it takes to rise to double its size, giving it a deeper flavour. It’s also a great timesaver , as you can start it yesterday , then finish it off the next day.