Quickest Way To Cook Thai Mango Sticky Glutinous Rice

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Microwaved Thai Mango Sticky Glutinous Rice

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Glutinous rice cooked until it has just the right bite and made deliciously moist with a sweet, syrupy coconut sauce.  Salt is added to balance out the sweetness.  Top that off with succulent bite sized mangos.  All I need now is a beach umbrella and I might be in Thailand.

The process of making this dessert is relatively simple but the simplest recipe using the least number of ingredients are often the most difficult to execute correctly.

Cook it too long and the rice becomes mushy and loses the shape of its grain. Undercook it and it is quite inedible. Top that with the task of getting each rice grain evenly cooked and the simple recipe is not quite that simple.

I like to drench mine in velvety coconut sauce.

I actually have two recipes. One for cooking the rice the conventional way - steaming. That almost guarantees rice that is cooked perfectly but not everyone has a steamer in their kitchen. Besides, there is more to wash up.

The alternative method is to microwave.  I no longer steam the rice as I can get it to cook evenly in my microwave. Either method will get the rice evenly cooked as long as you don't skip this step: soak the rice for 24 hours.

MICROWAVE THAI MANGO STICKY GLUTINOUS RICE     

Prep:	15 minutes
Cook:	Choose either steaming: 30 to 40 minutes OR microwave: 11 minutes
Inactive:	24 hours soaking time
Level:	Intermediate
Serves:	4
Oven Temperature:	-
Can recipe be doubled?	Yes, but adjust cooking times.
Make ahead?	Yes, up to 2 days. Warm rice or bring to room temperature before serving.

Just the ingredients 1 cup glutinous rice 3 cups water to soak rice 1/2  + 1/4 cups water  4 ripe mangos (preferably Thai)  2/3 cup unsweetened coconut milk 2/3 cup sugar 1 and 1/8 teaspoons salt 1 leaf of pandan (omit if unavailable)

These perfectly ripe mangos were being sold at a fruit stand by the iconic Chatuchak market in Bangkok, Thailand. They are ideal for making Thai Mango Sticky Rice at this stage of ripeness.

Ingredients

1 cup glutinous rice

3 cups water to soak rice

1/2  + 1/4 cups water 
If using the microwave.

4 ripe mangos (preferably Thai, like the Honey Mangos featured above) 

Coconut sauce

2/3 cup unsweetened coconut milk

2/3 cup sugar

1 and 1/8 teaspoons salt
Do not reduce.

1 leaf of pandan
Folded and knotted. Omit if unavailable.

Method

Wash and drain rice. Set aside 24 hours.

In a bowl, wash the rice with water. Be gentle. Just a 10 second swirl with your fingers. Drain into a small holed colander to catch any rice. Repeat 3 more times. Add 3 cups water and set aside 24 hours. This is the step not to skip.

Rice just after rinsing.

After 24 hours, the rice will look somewhat the same but it would smell yeasty. Totally fine.

After 24 hours.

Prepare the coconut sauce

Just before you begin cooking rice, prepare the coconut sauce.

Add sauce ingredients into a small pot and over a medium heat stir to dissolve sugar. Let it come to a boil for just 15 seconds. Turn off heat but leave on stove to keep warm. It would taste pretty sweet and salty.  That is fine. Unseasoned glutinous rice would be pretty much tasteless so it would need that much sugar and salt.

Steaming the rice 

You would need a cheese cloth or thin tea towel that will fit the entire base of your steamer tray/basket. Wet this under water and wring out excess water. Spread it out over the steamer tray.

Cheesecloth must be lined onto the steaming tray at the same time you fill the steamer pot with water and have it come to a boil.  The hot and damp cheesecloth help add that additional water needed for the rice to cook evenly.

Set up your steamer. Fill the bottom pot with water to come up over more than half filled. Cover and set the steamer (with the cheese cloth lined steamer tray) over the burner and turn heat on medium high to bring the water to a rolling boil. Do not add the rice yet.

Only when water is boiling do you prepare the rice for steaming.

Drain the rice into a colander. Rinse the rice in the colander under running water without stirring. Rice would be rather brittle at this stage. Be gentle and do not over rinse. 1 minute maximum.

As you quickly drain most of the water, catch any remaining drips of water from the rice by placing a bowl under the colander. You will need that water.

Walk the rice in the colander and the bowl under it over to the steamer. 

Open steamer cover and with a spoon, distribute rice with whatever water that has collected into the bowl, on to the cheesecloth. Replace cover.

It usually takes 30 to 40 minutes for the rice to cook. The rice should have a slight bite to it but taste cooked. If it needs longer cooking, steam and check every 5 minutes. Cooking time varies according to how new or old your rice is.

You might be tempted to add more water if it is still uncooked at the 30 minute mark. I would go really slowly with this. Add too much and you could have mushy rice. Add 1 to 2 Tablespoons at a time if you must.

This is why you must add the water you have collected in the bowl with the rice after the last washing/draining of rice before steaming. 

Once cooked, uncover and remove steaming tray.  

Microwaving the rice

Have ready, a 9" glass/ceramic flat dish or a similar dish that would fit in your microwave. Also have a spoon/spatula and a bowl with water ready.  Dip your spoon/spatula in the water to prevent rice from sticking to it.

Rinse out the 9" flat dish and do not dry it. Set aside.

Prepare the rice by repeating the wash and drain process above to lose some of the yeasty scent. Rice would be rather brittle at this stage. Be gentle and do not over wash. 

Put the drained rice into the 9" flat dish.

Total microwave time on high power is (2+2+2+2+2+1) minutes  = 11 minutes. 

Details follows.

In the microwave

0 to 2 minutes

Working from the circumference inwards, drizzle 1/2 cup water over rice.

Microwave on high 2 minutes.

2-minute mark. Rice looks uncooked.

The 2-minute mark

Remove from oven. Working gently, fold outer ring of rice into the centre and pull rice out from the bottom centre to the outer edge. It should take you no loner than 30 seconds. Do not pack rice down. This process helps to ensure evenly cooked rice.

Microwave again on high 2 minutes. 

4-minute mark. Doesn't look too raw now.

The 4-minute mark

Remove from oven and repeat the fold and push process above. Drizzle 1/4 cup starting from the circumference and working to the centre.

Microwave again on high 2 minutes.

6-minute mark. Looks a little cooked.

The 6-minute mark

Remove from microwave. Repeat fold and push process. Do not add water.

Microwave again on high 2 minutes.

8-minute mark. Rice grains are beginning to look more opaque.

The 8-minute mark

Open microwave door. Do not stir. Rotate bowl front to back. Close microwave door. 

Microwave on high 2 minutes. 

10-minute mark. Rice grains are almost cooked.

The 10-minute mark

Open microwave door. As the power on each microwave is different, you should check if the rice is cooked at this stage. Taste. The rice should not taste raw but still have a bite to it. If it is still needs more cooking time, do not stir, rotate bowl front to back and return to microwave.

Microwave on high 1 minute.

The 11-minute mark

Remove. Do not stir. Rice should be cooked at this stage. If not, microwave and check every 1 minute, remember to rotate the bowl front to back each time.  If you think it looks too dry, add just 2 tablespoons of water at a time.

Assembling

Whichever cooking method, you choose, as soon as rice is cooked, transfer to a lightly oiled container that comes with a lid. Do not stir.

The coconut sauce must be between hot to warm when you add it into the rice. Only add 1/3 to 1/2 of sauce and fold in quickly. 10 seconds maximum. Reserve the rest of the sauce for guests to help themselves. Do not add all of the sauce as the rice would be overly sweet and would turn mushy. Cover with the lid and set aside 20 to 30 minutes.

Start preparing your mangos at this stage.

After leaving the rice alone for 20 to 30 minutes, remove lid and fold gently. For 1 serving, I would go with 1/2 cup of rice and 1 mango. Drizzle 2 or more tablespoons of coconut sauce. A small jug of sauce can be placed within arm's length for those who have a sweeter tooth. Enjoy!

Tips

Here are 2 ways to use up any leftover mangos.

• Dim Sum Mango Pudding 

It is easier to prepare and taste so distinctively of mangos! This is my favourite way to eat mangos.

• Mango Salad With Salmon and Scallops Ceviche

This is a refreshing and light salad and quite luxurious for a small dinner party.

WHAT'S COMING UP NEXT?                                                 
I had loaves and loaves of Kulich, the Russian Easter Bread in the house. It is a deliciously rich fruit and almond studded loaf and a challenge to bake. A challenge primarily because I was maniacal about baking the tallest and largest cylindrical loaf possible, a size that most would not attempt to bake. Is it any wonder why Kulichi are baked only once a year? It is a lot of work but you would be rewarded with a very, very impressive loaf of bread.

Leftover Kulichi makes the best possible Bread And Butter Pudding. So good, that even though I had Kulichi coming out of my ears just two weeks ago, I still baked another batch of Kulichi recently so that I could have some to make Bread And Butter Pudding!

Quickest Way to Dye Eggs With Food Dye

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Quickest Way to Dye Eggs With Food Dye

Link to my newest and old recipes, click:

https://kitchenbaroness.wordpress.com/

I have given up on using natural food dyes. I like the convenience and speed of commercial food dyes and the flexibility of being able to adjust the intensity of colours. 

Whilst natural food dyes is the healthier option, I find that it makes too much of a mess, is more work, less predictable and so time consuming. 

Just to remind myself why I no longer dye eggs with a collection of onion skins, beetroot, purple cabbage, tumeric powder, hibiscus tea leaves, blueberries, cranberries, green apple skins, etcetera, I went through the whole process a few days ago. After all the peeling, boiling, straining, washing and cleaning up of the far too big a mess, this is the dismal result: 

The last reminder I ever need to not bother again with natural food dyes. You cannot control the intensity of colours and it seldom comes out as even tone as eggs dyed with commercial food dye. 

I should add that the majority of the eggs that I dye have been 'blown out'. No, I do not blow out the raw eggs as some people might to empty them out. I can't bring myself to do it. Instead, I carefully chip out an opening the size of a pea on the pointy end of the egg and tilt and shake to empty the contents, then wash and rinse out. 

After I have amassed a small collection of 'blown out' eggs, I dye them. This kind of dyeing I enjoy hugely! 

Water, vinegar, a few drops of colouring, wait 3 to 5 minutes and voila! I have much more evenly dyed eggs the exact hue that I want! Drip dry on skewers and that's it! It gets me all excited just thinking about it. 

If you worry about possible staining, use lots of newspapers and wear disposable gloves. It is much better than peeling, boiling, grinding vegetables and fruits and it saves major cleaning, washing up and food wastage!

The 2 or 3 eggs that I do dye after they have been first boiled are reserved for a deep red dye. These red eggs I insert into my Easter bread for its symbolic significance and just because it looks pretty. I baked a Greek Easter bread, Tsoureki, recently and slotted the eggs in them.

Do I eat those eggs? Well, yes. I doubt a little red dye that might seep into the bread and into the eggs are going to have any negative effects on me.  After all, the convenience food that I consume already have an impressive range of colourings and preservatives.

Keep in mind that brown eggs as opposed to white eggs will give the deepest coloured red dyed eggs. 

I am off to dye another batch of eggs. I want pastel shades this time round. What fun!

This completes my Easter bread series. I had baked 3 kinds of delicious festive bread. Are they not pretty?

• Hot Cross Buns

Nothing blend or boring about these. I love the sugar coated tangerine pieces in them.

• Kulich Russian Easter Bread

A challenge to get them so large and high but it is a true festive bread.

• Tsoureki Greek Easter Bread

A very soft bread and uniquely flavoured. I have never had anything like it and I like it a lot. The bread pulls out in threads, the way candy floss does.

QUICKEST WAY TO DYE EGGS WITH FOOD DYE              

Prep:	15 minutes
Cook:	-
Inactive:	3 to 5 minutes
Level:	Easy
Makes:	12 dyed eggs
Oven Temperature:	-
Can recipe be doubled?	Yes
Make ahead?	Yes

Just the ingredients 12 boiled eggs (completely free of cracks) OR 12 eggs that have been 'blown out' (emptied of its contents) 3/4 cup vinegar 1 and 1/2 cups hot water 3 cups of room temperature water Powdered/liquid/paste dye  Oil for polishing eggs

Ingredients

12 boiled eggs (completely free of cracks)
OR
12 eggs that have been 'blown out' (emptied of its contents)
For deep red eggs, dye brown eggs. For all other colours, I prefer to use white eggs.

3/4 cup vinegar
Use the cheap stuff.

1 and 1/2 cups hot water

3 cups of room temperature water

Powdered/liquid/paste dye 

Oil for polishing eggs

Method

This is how I 'blow out' eggs.

Use a knife and carefully, bit by bit, pry open a hole slightly larger than the size of a pea.

Hold the egg at a 45 degree angle and shake and rotate the eggs at the same time to remove its content.

Rinse out the eggs with soap and water. Drain. Set aside.

In a large jug, pour in vinegar, hot and room temperature water and mix well.

Use this vinegar and water mix as required to dye eggs to whatever colours you desire.

As for how much dye to use, I start off conservatively and add more if required. Let eggs soak for 3 to 5 minutes. Use a spoon to check on how well the dyes have set in. 

If you leave the eggs too long in the dyes, tiny bubbles will start to appear on the surface of the eggs and you might get spotty looking dyed eggs.

It should be dyed to your liking within 5 minutes. Remove with the blunt end of the bamboo skewer and spoon. 

If you are using boiled eggs, remove with a spoon on to paper towels. Blot dry with paper towels and dry completely on more dry paper towels.

For 'blown out' eggs, drain completely on bamboo skewers. A garden patch, planter, flower pots or styrofoam boxes all work well for this drip dry process.

When eggs are completely dry, polish with oil to preserve the colours and make them gleam.

Commercial food dyes will stain your fingers. Wear gloves to protect them. 

Tips

• Buy white eggs 2 weeks before Easter. As Easter draws nearer, the stocks for them starts to run low.

• If you are going to dye 'blown out' eggs, it makes sense to start accumulating your stash even earlier. You will be eating eggs often enough anyway, so you might as well start cleaning them out and have them ready. It is a good idea to spread out the work too.

• Place the 'blown out' eggs in a huge basket or glass vessel.  There is always a sense of excitement and anticipation as you watch your collection grow. It is more relaxing and fun to work on a nice big stash that you have been gradually amassing.

WHAT'S COMING UP NEXT?                                                 

I have been spotting lots of Thai mangoes on supermarket shelves, so it's time to make Thai Mango Sticky Rice. I am not quite sure if it is a dessert or a snack but this sweet glutinous rice treat drenched with a coconut sauce is always a pleasure to eat.

I no longer steam the rice which can be a tediously long process. I have come up with a speedy full proof microwave method. That's the only way I would cook the glutinous rice now.

Tsoureki Greek Easter Bread

Hi! I'm now working from Wordpress. I've edited this post there, reformatted it so that it is much easier to read & follow my recipe. This link will take your directly to the recipe:

Tsoureki Greek Easter Bread

Link to my newest and old recipes, click:

https://kitchenbaroness.wordpress.com/

This is my favourite Easter bread. It is so soft and has wonderfully heady flavours because of the addition of two unique spices, mastic gum and mahlep. I am tempted to call this candy floss bread because when you tear into it, it pulls out in strands just like cotton candy.

Tsoureki is the most unusual bread I have baked. It taste like nothing I have had. Mastic gum and mahlep gives the loaf a distinctive flavour and scent - pleasantly strong and bittersweet tasting accompanied by a heady aroma. 

It sounds crazy, but I am reminded of burning church incense as I eat it. Don't be appalled, the bread taste exceptional. So good that I would say it is definitely worth the effort to seek and purchase mastic gum and mahlep. 

My favourite way to eat Tsoureki is with cheese or jelly although I have read it should be eaten with honey. You eat it the way you want.

I know mastic gum is used in Greek, Turkish and Middle Eastern cuisines. Often to flavour sweets, desserts and breads. Mahlep I had never heard of. 

Now that I have cooked with it and eaten mastic gum and mahlep, my interest has been piqued. I have to go through my cookbooks to find out more ways to use them. I wonder how ice cream taste with mastic gum. If only I can remember the cook books those recipes were featured in.

The addition of red dyed eggs is optional but because it is Easter, I add them. Eggs after all, are a sign of renewal and dyeing eggs is such fun! It adds to all that festive cheer.

This recipe is an adaptation of many Tsoureki recipes. I do have to credit the addition of anise seeds to Tessa Kiros, author of Food From Many Greek Kitchens. It makes a great substitute in the absence of mastic gum or mahlep.

TSOUREKI GREEK EASTER BREAD

Prep:	15 minutes
Cook:	20 -25 minutes
Inactive:	First rise 1.5 to 3 hours. Second rise 45 minutes to 1 hour.
Level:	Moderately easy
Serves:	8
Oven Temperature:	350F (175C)
Can recipe be doubled?	Dough can be doubled. They rise wide and high so bake each loaf separately unless you have 2 ovens.
Make ahead?	Dough can be made ahead and refrigerated in a container 2X its volume to allow for expansion. Once baked, keep tightly covered on the kitchen counter up to 3 days. Keeps longer if refrigerated. Freezes well.

Just the ingredients The dough 1 and 1/2 teaspoons yeast 1/4 cup water 3 and 1/3 cup (15.87oz)(450g) bread flour 1 Tablespoon vital wheat gluten 1/4 teaspoon salt 1/2 cup (3.52oz)(100g) sugar  3/4 cup (6oz)(180ml) milk  1 large (1/4 cup) egg 2 teaspoons orange zest 1/8 teaspoon mastic gum/mastika 1 teaspoon mahlep/mahlab OR 1/2 cup bitter apricot kernels OR 2 teaspoons anise seeds/anise extract 1/4 cup (2oz)(56g) butter melted 1 Tablespoon (1/2 oz)(14g) chilled butter For the tops of loaf 1/2 cup almond flakes 1/2 egg for egg wash  1 or 2 whole raw eggs 1 or 2 red dyed eggs

Ingredients

The dough

1 and 1/2 teaspoons yeast

1/4 cup water

3 and 1/3 cup (15.87oz)(450g) bread flour

1 Tablespoon vital wheat gluten 

Scroll down to 'Tips' to find out more of what this is.

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup (3.52oz)(100g) sugar 

3/4 cup milk 

1 large egg (1/4 cup)

2 teaspoons orange zest

1/8 teaspoon mastic gum/mastika
This is a tree resin with a distinct aroma and taste. Impossible to get locally. I ended ordering mine from a Greek on line store. I had bought a packet of similar looking gum from an Indian grocery store, it was labelled 'Edible gum'. Totally different item.

1 teaspoon mahlep/mahlab
Kernels of a particular breed of cherry tree. It has a unique taste and scent. Use too much and the bittersweet qualities will become overpowering. I had to order it on line.
OR
1/2 cup bitter apricot kernels

If you are using apricot kernels, add 1/2 + 1/8 cup of water into the yeast instead of 1/4 cup. If you have had Italian amaretti biscuits, they are flavoured with these to give it that sharp almost bitter taste. Comes closest to tasting like mahlep before baking.

Locally, you might find them on some supermarket shelves. Traditional Chinese Medicine shops and Asian grocery stores will stock these.
OR
2 teaspoons anise seeds or anise extract
If you cannot get a hold of mastic gum or mahlep, I would either use only anise seeds or a combination of bitter apricot kernels and anise seeds. 

1/4 cup (2oz)(56g) butter melted

1 Tablespoon (1/2 oz)(14g) chilled butter cut into tiny cubes

For the tops of loaf

1/2 cup almond flakes

1/2 egg for egg wash

1 or 2 whole raw eggs (cleaned and free of cracks)

1 or 2 red dyed eggs (click here to find out how to dye them, Quickest Way To Dye Eggs With Food Dye)

Method

Choosing and preparing your spices

Mahlep and mastic gum are the traditional pairing. Having baked a Tsoureki using just these two spices, I can understand why Greeks associate these two spices with Easter. It bakes a loaf that smells and taste distinctively unique. I have never had anytime like it before. It was worth the effort getting them shipped to me and I can think of other ways to use it up - cakes, cookies, ice cream, etc.

I had read that bitter apricot kernels could be used as a substitute for mahlep. While the raw smell of apricot kernels does have bitter and sweet undertones similar to mahlep, I discovered that a lot of the flavour is lost after baking. I do not want to add more than 1/2 cup of bitter apricot kernels to increase its flavour as I recall reading that apricot kernels should not be consumed in large quantities as it has traces of an element within them that is toxic. 

Should I run out of mahlep and/or mastic gum, I would use just anise seeds. I doubt I would go to the store to buy a whole packet of bitter apricot kernels just for Tsoureki.

• Anise seeds

Toast the anise seeds in a dry frying pan on medium high heat. Stir continuously and remove once the seeds smells fragrant. Grind until it is quite fine. A few coarse bits here and there is not an issue.

• Bitter apricot kernels

Grind into a fine powder.

• Mahlep

Grind into a fine powder. It is fine if there are still a bit of coarse bits as you are going to grind it again with the mastic gum.

• Mastic gum

Sprinkle 1 teaspoon of sugar over the mastic gum and grind. Rolling pin works well here. I use my mortar and pestle. You will not be able to grind this very fine so to help it further along, add the powdered mahlep and continue to grind to as fine a grain as you can.

Putting the dough together

Add the yeast into the 1/4 cup water (or 1/2 + 1/8 cup if you are using bitter apricot kernels) and set aside. Normally, instant yeast does not require a separate activation but I like to do so for this recipe as this is a rich dough high in sugar so a little initial yeast activation does help the rise. Set aside.

Add the flour, vital wheat gluten, salt, sugar and then the spices you have chosen to use into a bowl and mix well. Set these dry ingredients aside.

Mix the beaten egg with the milk and orange zest.

Have the melted butter ready.

Using a mixer

I use a standing mixer, my KitchenAid. A hand held mixer will not be powerful enough to work this dough. 

Attach dough hook to beater shaft. Lock in the mixing bowl. 

Transfer dry ingredients into the mixing bowl. Make a well and pour in the egg, milk and orange zest mixture and the water and yeast mixture. Start the machine on low speed (dial 2).

Let the machine run without adding anymore water or flour. It will look wet and sticky but continue to let the machine run at low speed for 5 minutes.

With the machine still running at low speed, very gradually pour in the melted butter down the insides of the mixing bowl. This takes me 5 minutes.

As you add the butter, the dough will look like a wet mess at times. Do not be disheartened as as you continue to allow the machine to knead the dough, it will look smoother and silkier. Toggle between low and medium speed to help incorporate the melted butter.

After all of the melted butter has been added, run the machine for another 5 minutes. Then, with machine still running, add the chilled cubes of butter gradually.

Let the machine knead it in for 5 minutes. 

Stop the machine and scrapped down the sides of the bowl with a buttered dough scraper. You will have a smooth, silky and elastic dough.  

If the dough feels at all tight when you pull on it to stretch it, with the machine running, add 1 Tablespoon of water. Let the machine run for 1 minute and work in more water the same way if required. You want an elastic dough that gives you an easy stretch.

The texture of the final dough should look similar to the one featured below.

Do not be tempted to add flour at any point as it would only bake a very heavy and dry loaf. I would rather butter the insides of the mixer bowl lightly, if at all, if I thought it was getting too sticky.

Err on the side of a more moist dough. Keep in mind that the final dough will be a little sticky.

With the help of a buttered dough scraper, scrape sides of bowl clean, pick the dough up and form into a round ball. Tuck loose ends under the dough. 

Before returning dough to mixer bowl, butter the bowl. Return dough to mixer bowl. Cover with plastic wrap.

This dough will take 1 and 1/2 to 3 hours to rise on a hot and humid day.

I prefer to leave it overnight in the refrigerator in a container with a lid. It allows the yeast to work slowly and this helps to develop the flavour and gives the bread a better texture (think 'candy floss').

The container should be at least 2X the volume of the dough to allow for expansion.

Working dough by hand

Corresponding pictures are featured above

Place dry ingredients on a flat working surface or in a very large bowl.

Create a well in the centre of dry ingredients. Pour the egg, milk and orange zest mixture and the yeast and water mixture into the well. With your hands, work it all in slowly into the dry ingredients. It will be very sticky.

Once you have incorporated dry and wet ingredients, knead it for 10 minutes.

To start kneading, you have to work with pushing the dough out with the palm of your hand and pulling it back with your fingers. As the dough will be sticky, use a butter dough scraper to help you pull the dough back and clean the work surface at the same time.

Gradually add the melted butter and work it in. This will take another 5 to 10 minutes of kneading. 

It might become frustratingly sticky at times but that is fine. It will get less so as you knead.

After all the melted butter has been added, knead another 5 minutes.

Thereafter, add the chilled cubes of butter gradually into the dough. It takes about 5 minutes.

After which, knead another 5 minutes and by this time the dough will be smooth, soft and silky dough.

I would hold off adding any flour otherwise you might end up with very dry and dense loaves. I would rather butter lightly.

If you pull on the dough and if it feels at all tight, add a tablespoon of water and continue to knead. You will know you are doing well when you find yourself working with a smooth elastic ball that can be easily stretch without any tension.

Shape into a round ball, tuck loose ends under the dough. 

Butter your bowl which should be large enough to allow the dough to almost double in size. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and let it rise in a draft free place until almost double in size. 

This dough is very rich and will take 1 and 1/2 to 3 hours to rise on a hot and humid day.

I like to leave it overnight in the refrigerator in a container with a lid. It allows the yeast to work slowly to develop the bread, giving it a better flavour and texture.

The container should be at least 2X the volume of the dough to allow for expansion.

After the first rise, plaiting/braiding the dough

The dough after 1 and 1/2 to 3 hours.

This is what the dough looks like after 16 hours of refrigeration.

Flour your work surface lightly.

Punch the dough down and flatten it out on the work surface into a small rectangle, working out the air pockets as you do so. 

Divide the dough into 3 equal pieces. 

Roll each piece into a smooth sausage the length of your arm. Keep it to an arm's length unless you have a baking tray and an oven with a generous length. This dough will expand larger than you expect.

Gather the ends furthest away from you together.

Bring the left log towards the centre and rest it there. 

Bring the right log toward the centre and rest it there.

Bring the left log toward the centre and rest it there. Repeat the same procedure as indicated above until you reach the end of the logs.

Secure the ends well by pinching them together and tucking them under.

Transfer to a parchment paper/silpat lined baking sheet. Cover with a tea towel and let it rise for 45 minutes to an hour or until it has almost doubled in size.

After the second rise

Only when it is oven ready, egg wash it gently and sprinkle almonds generously. Nothing like a good crunch on bread.

Even more gently, pry open and I do mean pry open a small gap in between the plaits/braids to nestle the raw egg/eggs 1/3 way in. If you were to just stuff the eggs in, you might deflate the dough. 

As long as your eggs are free of crack lines, the eggs will get 'hard boiled' in the oven without fear of them bursting open.

I choose to not insert dyed red eggs to bake with the risen dough as the red dye will bleed quite significantly into the baked loaf.

Bake immediately at 350 (175C), lower middle rack for 20 to 25 minutes until the tops are a nice golden brown and the bottoms sound hollow when tapped. 

Cool completely before you remove the eggs and replace them with red dyed eggs. If you don't the red dye will bleed into the loaf. Click here to find out how to dye eggs, Quickest Way To Dye Eggs With Food Dye.

Tips

Vital wheat gluten

Vital wheat gluten is derived from the endosperm of the wheat berry and is often added to a bread dough mix to help bake a loaf with more volume. 

Vital wheat gluten can be purchased at better stocked supermarkets. I use Bob's Red Mill Vital Wheat Gluten. This does come in a 1 lb 6 oz (623g). It is a large bag so keep sealed and refrigerated. I use it often in my wholemeal loaves. Take a look at my recipe for Moroccan Inspired Wholemeal Round Loaves. It bakes beautiful, light wholemeal loaves with the addition of vital wheat gluten. 

For the same reason, I add vital wheat gluten into another sweet loaf, Braided Stollen With Three Logs Of Marzipan. I baked it last Christmas. It is a sweet loaf studded with fruits and threaded with marzipan. 

There is also my recipe for Hot Cross Buns which are neither traditional nor boring. 

Another Easter bread to try would be my Kulich Russian Easter Bread. It can be a challenge to bake but it is quite spectacular looking.

All my sweet loaves recipes will work without the vital wheat gluten. It will taste the same but you might not get the same rise and softness.

WHAT'S COMING UP NEXT?                                                 
Let's dye some eggs!