Easter Bread Recipe

Scald cream. Add sugar, butter, and salt; stir until butter melts. Set aside and cool til lukewarm. In a large bowl, combine yeast and 1 1/2 C. of the flour. Gradually pour cream mixture into flour while beating at medium speed. Beat 2 minutes until smooth. Add beaten eggs, vanilla, and 1 more C. of flour. Beat at high speed for 2 more minutes. With spoon, stir in enough flour to make a soft dough (1 1/2 to 2 C.). Turn dough onto floured board and knead. While kneading add enough of remaining flour, a little at a time, to keep dough from sticking. When dough is smooth and elastic (after about 5 minutes), shape into a ball. Place dough in a large greased bowl and turn over so top gets greased. Let rise til dough doubles (about 1 1/2 hours). Punch down and turn onto board. Let rest 5 minutes. Shape as desired (see note). Let rise about 1 1/2 hours. Before baking brush with a glaze of 1 egg beaten with 1 T. milk. Bake 35 minutes at 350°F. Note: If making a wreath, place 5 raw greased eggs into wreath after shaped. After rising, press eggs back down and bake. Carefully remove eggs immediately after baking. Cool on wire rack. Replace holes with hard-cooked, tinted eggs for serving. Bake smaller things for a shorter amount of time, until golden brown.