Argentinian-Style Easter Bread

Ingredients

• 600 g wheat flour (Type 550)
• 1 cube yeast
• 0.25 l milk
• 120 g butter
• 70 g sugar
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 organic lemon (zest)
• 3 egg yolks
• 120 g raisins
• 1 pinch chili flakes
• 2 rosemary sprigs
• butter (for the pan)
• 1 tbsp sugar (for the pan)

Instructions

1. 1.

   Sift the flour into a bowl, make a well in the center and crumble the yeast into it. Sprinkle 1 tsp sugar over it. Warm the milk to lukewarm and pour 4-5 tbsp of it over the yeast. Let the pre‑starter rise for about 15 minutes. In the remaining milk dissolve the butter.

2. 2.

   Add the lemon zest, egg yolks, chili, sugar, salt and the milk mixture, then knead with a hand mixer’s dough hooks into a smooth yeasted dough. Cover and let rise for about 40 minutes.

3. 3.

   Briefly pour boiling water over the raisins and drain them; when the dough has doubled in volume, fold it into the yeast dough and let rise again for 20 minutes.

4. 4.

   Grease a baking dish, dust the bottom with sugar. Arrange the rosemary sprigs around the edge, press them into place with butter and a little sugar. Pour the dough into the pan.

5. 5.

   Bake in a preheated oven at 200 °C (convection) for 10 min, then reduce to 180 °C and bake the bread for about 30 more minutes. If needed cover with foil.

6. 6.

   Remove from the oven, release from the pan and let cool.