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EASTER DOVE BREAD / COLOMBA Makes 2 loaves

La Colomba in Italian means dove, the symbol of peace.  This bread is a wonderful addition to an Easter brunch or an appropriate finish to Easter dinner.  Traditionally this is a yeast bread that takes 18 hours or preparation.  Our recipe uses baking powder and produces a very attractive sweet bread.

6-7 cups all-purpose flour

1-1/4 cups sugar

1 TB. baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

5 large eggs, divided

4 oz. unsalted butter, melted

Traditional Easter Dove Bread

1-1/4 cups milk

1 TB. vanilla

2 whole cloves

4 hard-boiled eggs

Colored sprinkles

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.  Grease two baking sheets.

Using a piece of paper or cardboard, cut out a dove shape pattern that is 8-inches long from beak to tail and 5-inches wide.

Combine 6 cups of flour, sugar, baking powder and salt in a bowl.

In another bowl, add 4 eggs, butter, milk and vanilla.  Beat until well blended.

Add the liquid mixture to the dry ingredients and mix with your hands to form a dough.

The dough should not be sticky.  If it is, add a little more flour.

Transfer the dough to a floured surface and knead it until smooth, about 5 minutes.

Divide the dough into two pieces.

Roll each piece of dough into a 10-inch by 8-inch rectangle.

Place the dove-shaped pattern on each piece of dough and cut around it.  Remove scraps of dough.

Using scissors, make cuts in the tail to resemble feathers and one cut in the beak area.

Push one clove in each dove for an eye.

Place 2 hard- boiled eggs side by side in the middle of each dove body.

Cut 4 thin strips 6-inches long from dough scraps. Cross 2 over each egg.

In a small bowl, lightly beat the remaining egg and  brush it lightly over each loaf.

Sprinkle the loaves with the colored sprinkles.

Bake for 20-25 minutes or until the loaves are lightly browned and firm to the touch.

Remove to cooling racks.

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