GIANT HUNGARIAN POPPY SEED SPIRAL BREAD FOR EASTER!

VEGAN ST. PATRICK'S DAY DINNER MENU AND RECIPES HERE!



I just realized that Easter is in about 10 days! I'm so behind on everything due to this book deadline! Anyway, as some of you probably know, I love making fancy Easter breads. Bread has a long history in regards to festivals and holidays. In particular, the miraculous rising of yeast bread I have read seemed to have significance. I have read that braided bread came about as a substitute for the braided hair that a wife would cut off and place in the grave with her dead husband! (Here is one such notation, but I have read this in several books on the history of bread.) Round and spiral breads were symbols of rebirth, renewal, the wheel of life, and that is what Easter and all Spring festivals are all about!

(Bread history is fascinating. BTW. Here is a page with lots of links and book recommendations, if you are interested.)

So give this bread a try. It's very impressive, and delicious, and not as difficult as you might think!


If you prefer, you can fashion this into 2 smaller breads, but the giant one is very impressive! You can make it the day before (as instructed below) or a week ahead and freeze it.

To make the day before: Start the dough 24 hours before you want to serve the bread, the morning before. Let the dough rise in the refrigerator all day, as directed in the dough recipe (this dough does not handle well unless it is cold). You can make the filling when you get the dough in the refrigerator. In the late afternoon of the day before you are going to serve the bread, take the dough out, roll and fill and shape according to the directions below and then let it rise , bake it and let it cool overnight. Then you can glaze it and serve it in the morning-it cuts better when cooled thoroughly.



BRYANNA'S GIANT HUNGARIAN POPPY SEED SPIRAL BREAD

1 recipe Bryanna's Fat-Free or Low-Fat Vegan Sweet Yeast Bread Dough
(Recipe is here)
Filling:
1 1/2 cups poppy seeds
1 1/2 cups toasted walnut halves
1 cup snipped pitted prunes
3/4 cup sugar (organic, light unbleached)
1/2 cup soymilk
1/3 cup Earth Balance
grated zest of 2 organic lemons
1 tsp cinnamon
Glaze Options: (see Cooking Tips for Glaze recipes)
1.) Lemon Powdered Sugar Glaze
2.) Bryanna's White Glaze
3.) Bryanna's Soy-Sugar Glaze

Prepare the dough as directed in the recipe and let it rise in the refrigerator.
Mix the Filling ingredients in a heavy saucepan and bring to a boil. Cook, stirring often, over medium-low heat, for about 10 minutes. The liquid will be absorbed. Set aside to cool.

When you are ready to shape the bread, take the dough out of the refrigerator. Lightly flour the work surface.

For one giant loaf:
Roll the dough into a rectangle about 8" wide and 28x14". Spread with the filling to within 1" of the edges. Roll the rectangle lengthwise jelly-roll fashion, and pinch the edge of the dough to the body of the roll to seal. On a piece of cooking parchment cut to fit your pan, form the roll into a spiral (the pinched side on the bottom), starting from the center, and tucking the end underneath neatly. Use a 14" pizza pan or a 12" round cake pan for this loaf. Spray with oil from a pump sprayer.



For two loaves:
divide exactly in half and keep second half covered while you work with the first. Roll each half of the dough into a rectangle about 8" wide and 24" long. Spread each half with 1/2 the filling to within 1" of the edges. Roll each rectangle lengthwise jelly-roll fashion, and pinch the edge of the dough to the body of the roll to seal. On pieces of cooking parchment cut to fit your pans, form each roll into a spiral (the pinched sides on the bottom), starting from the center, and tucking the end underneath neatly. Use cookie sheets or 10" layer cake pans for these loaves. Spray with oil from a pump sprayer.

Cover and let rise in a warm place until puffy, about 1 to 1 and 1/2 hours.
Preheat oven to 350 °F. Bake the spiral(s) until golden, about 30-45 minutes, depending on size. Transfer the pan(s) to racks and cool thoroughly. They can then be frozen, if you wish.

Decorate with the glaze of your choice (see below) before serving.



Servings: 24
Yield: 1 large loaf or 2 smaller ones

Cooking Tips
GLAZE OPTIONS:

SIMPLE POWDERED SUGAR GLAZE
1 cup organic powdered or confectioner's sugar (Whole Foods, Florida Crystals or Hain)
1 and 1/2 Tbs. lemon juice

Sift the powdered sugar through a sieve, the stir in the lemon juice until smooth. Spread on the warm bread.

BRYANNA'S WHITE GLAZE
Makes 1/2 cup

This can be used on sweet yeasted breads, tea breads, cupcakes, doughnuts, etc..

1/2 cup good-tasting powdered soymilk (such as a Better Than Milk) beverage mix-- do not use bulk soymilk powder)
4 Tbs. Grade A light maple syrup
1/4 tsp. vanilla or other flavor extract (use lemon extract for this bread)

Mix the ingredients together thoroughly in a bowl. For a thin glaze, spread it on the hot bread or cake. For a firmer glaze, spread it on the cooled bread or cake.

BRYANNA'S SOY-SUGAR GLAZE
Makes about 1/2 c.

For a sweeter glaze that gets a bit crusty, try this easy one. It's more beige than white, depending on the color of your sugar. It's good on baked doughnuts or muffins baked in miniature bundt pans.

1/2 cup light vegan (organic) sugar
2 Tbs soymilk
2 Tbs isolated soy protein powder
1/4 tsp. vanilla or other flavor extract (use lemon extract for this bread)

Melt the sugar and soymilk together in a small saucepan over medium heat, stirring, or MICROWAVE in a microwave-safe small bowl for 1 minute. Beat in the soy protein powder and vanilla with a hand blender or electric mixer. Spread on hot cake, etc.

Enjoy!