Choreg

From the Easter Bread series:

Choreg (Armenian Easter Bread)

1 cups milk, lukewarm

1 packages active dry yeast

4 cups flour

1 cups sugar

1/2 tsp salt

3 eggs

1/2 tsp ground mahlepi

1/2 tsp ground anise

1/4 tsp vanilla extract

1 egg white

1 tsp sugar

Sesame seeds

Combine milk, yeast and sugar to a bowl.  Allow mixture to proof and look for small bubbles forming.

In a large mixer, combine butter, salt and sugar until light and fluffy.  Alternate adding the flour and yeast mixtures in small increments, mixing until thoroughly combined.  Stir in mahlepi, anise, and vanilla extract.

Knead dough into a ball.  Place each loaf in a greased container covered with a towel.  Let rise for 1 hour.  Punch dough down and cut dough into two halves.  Set one aside.

Take dough and again divide, this time into thirds.  Roll out each piece into a long, thick rope.  The length and thickness depends on what design you want to shape your bread loaf into.

Place each rope next to each other and braid together.  Cover the dough with a towel and let rise for an additional hour.

Repeat with the second half of the dough mixture.

Preheat oven 425F.  

Mix the egg white and sugar in a bowl.  Brush over the top of each loaf.  Top with a sprinkling of sesame seeds.

Bake each loaf for 10 minutes, then reduce heat to 350F and bake an additional 20-25 minutes, or until the top of each loaf is shiny and light brown.