Italian Anise Easter Bread

Name: Italian Anise Easter Bread
Ingredients: 12 eggs; 2 1/2 cups sugar; 1/2 cup melted butter; 1/2 cup Crisco; 1/2 cup oil; 1/2 cup milk; 3 teaspoons vanilla; 1 cup warm water; 3 (1/4 ounce) envelopes yeast (not rapid rise); 16 -20 cups flour (almost 5 lbs.); 3 tablespoons anise seeds

11 ingredients

6 steps

Ingredients

12 eggs
2 1/2 cups sugar
1/2 cup melted butter
1/2 cup Crisco
1/2 cup oil
1/2 cup milk
3 teaspoons vanilla
1 cup warm water
3 (1/4 ounce) envelopes yeast (not rapid rise)
16 -20 cups flour (almost 5 lbs.)
3 tablespoons anise seeds

Directions

1

In mixer bowl beat eggs. Add sugar, butter, crisco, oil, milk, and vanilla.
2

Dissolve yeast in the warm water. You may want to use a thermometer to be sure the temperature is correct. Let yeast sit until it foams, as in package directions. Add to egg mixture. Add anise.
3

Add flour one cup at a time until mixture is unmanageable. Transfer into LARGE pan (Dishpan works well.) and work in remaining flour, kneading with hands.
4

Knead until you are too tired to knead any more (half hour?) and then oil top of dough ball, cover, and let rise in warm place 6 hours or overnight.
5

Grease 6 loaf pans. Separate dough into 6 parts and knead each again. Cover with towels and let rise in warm place another couple of hours.
6

Bake 1 hour at 275 degrees. Do not underbake or they will be hard as a rock. (Top should be lightly browned.).