italian anise bread

Ingredients

• Servings: 6
• 12 3/8 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 cups sugar
• 5 tablespoons anise seed
• 1/2 cup warm water
• 2 (.25 ounce) packages active dry yeast
• 2 cups warm milk
• 8 eggs, at room temperature
• 1/2 cup butter, melted

Recipe

Preparation Time: 15 mins Cook Time: 45 mins Ready Time: 10 hrs


• combine flour, sugar, and anise seed together in a very large bowl; create a well in the center.
• mix warm water and yeast together in a bowl. let stand until the yeast softens and begins to form a creamy foam, about 10 minutes.
• beat warm milk, eggs, and butter together in a bowl; stir into yeast mixture. add milk mixture to the well in the flour mixture. knead flour-milk mixture using your hands until dough and your hands are no longer sticky. cover dough with a clean cotton cloth and let rise, 8 hours to overnight.
• grease and flour 6 loaf pans.
• punch dough down and divide into 6 portions. mold each portion into a round shape and place each in a prepared pan. cover pans and let rise for 1 hour more.
• preheat oven to 350 degrees f (175 degrees c).
• bake in the preheated oven until bread is cooked through, 45 to 50 minutes.