Portuguese Easter Bread

Ingredients:

• 3 bars of fresh pressed yeast
• 0.5 cups of warm water
• 2 cups warm skim milk (or cooled boiled whole milk)
• 2.25 kg of premium flour
• 1 teaspoon of salt
• 12 fresh eggs, room temperature
• 3.5 cups of sugar
• 3 tablespoons lemon juice
• 220 g butter, melted
• 2 tbsp. salt
• 1 egg, beaten

Preparation:

1. Dissolve the compressed yeast in 0.5 cups of warm water (not hot). Add 2 cups of warm skim milk (or boiled whole milk, cooled slightly), 3 cups of flour, and 1 teaspoon of salt. Mix and set aside to allow the yeast to dissolve.
2. In a separate bowl, combine 12 fresh eggs, sugar, and lemon juice. Beat well, then add the melted butter. Add the yeast mixture, remaining flour, and 2 tablespoons of salt. Knead the dough and let it rest for 10-20 minutes.
3. Continue kneading with a mixer until the dough comes away from the bowl, or knead with oiled hands until the dough comes away from your hands. This will take some time, and the dough will be sticky, unlike bread dough. Place it in an oiled bowl, cover, and let it rise for about 1-3 hours, until it doubles in size.
4. Then press the dough down, turn it over and let it rise a second time until it doubles in size again.
5. Carefully tear off about 300 grams of dough at a time and form beautiful loaves. Place them in greased loaf pans. You should get 5-7 nice loaves. Let them rise in the pans for a third time.
6. Make 2-3 0.5 cm deep cuts on the top of each loaf, then brush the tops with an egg beaten with 1 tbsp of water.
7. Bake at 160°C for about 10 minutes, then reduce the temperature to 150°C and bake for another 25-30 minutes.
8. Remove the bread from the oven and turn the loaves on their sides on a wire rack for a couple of minutes, then remove them from the pans.