Ukrainian Kolach

Ingredients:

• Sugar, 1 tsp
• Water (lukewarm), 1 cup
• Instant yeast, 2 envelopes
• Sugar, 3 tbs
• Milk (lukewarm), 2 cups
• Eggs, 2
• Salt, a pinch of
• Butter (melted), 125 gr
• Flour, 9 cups
• Egg yolk (beaten with 1 tbs milk), eggwash
• Poppy seeds, 2 tbs (we ommited this)

Preparation:

In a small bowl, mix yeast, 1 teaspoon sugar and 1/3 cup warm water. Let stand 15 minutes or until bubbly.

In a large bowl, beat eggs until thick. Beat in the yeast mixture, 2 tablespoons sugar, butters and salt.

Then add the 1/2 cup warm water and mix until fully incorporated. Add 2 cups flour and mix well. Add remaining flour and knead until dough is smooth.

Place dough in a greased bowl. Cover with greased plastic wrap and let rise 2 hours or until doubled. Punch down dough and let rise again until doubled (2 hours).

 Knead by hand a few times and then turn out onto a lightly floured board. Divide the dough into three pieces (each one slighty smaller than the other) .

Divide each piece into three pieces and braid.

Make three round braided loaves to be stacked on top of each other.

Place the three loaves in 3 tube pans of decreasing size, 30 cm, 25 cm and 20 cm.

Cover with greased plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place until almost doubled (2 hours).

Heat oven to 180°. Bake 50-60 minutes. Brush bread with eggwash the last 5 minutes of baking.

Remove from oven and turn out of pans to cool completely on a wire rack.