Pascha (Easter Bread) - cooking recipe

Ingredients

1 lb. dry cottage cheese or Ricotta cheese
8 egg yolks
1/2 tsp. salt
1 c. sugar
3 c. flour
1 c. white raisins
1/2 tsp. yellow food coloring
2 Tbsp. melted butter
1/2 tsp. lemon extract
1 pkg. yeast
1/4 c. warm water
1 Tbsp. sugar
2 1/2 c. warm milk
1 c. egg
6 Tbsp. butter
2 pkg. dry yeast
1/2 c. sugar
3 tsp. salt
1/2 c. warm water
1/4 tsp. mace
10 c. all-purpose flour

Preparation

Scald milk. While still hot, add the butter and let cool until lukewarm. Dissolve the yeast in warm water and 1 tablespoon sugar. Add the sugar and salt to the cooled milk and slightly beaten eggs. Add mace. Put the sifted flour in bowl (7 cups) and add the yeast mixture and milk mixture. Beat until comes out smooth, then add another 3 cups flour gradually as much as is need to make soft dough. Knead until smooth and elastic. Put in greased bowl and cover. Let raise until double in bulk (2 to 3 hours). Punch down and let raise again until double in bulk. Makes 6 small and 4 large balls of dough to make the bread OR however number of loaves you wish. Pat out plain dough and about 2-inches from edge, make an indentation to look like a hat. Take the cheese mixture and put on the plain dough. Seal the cheese mix in the middle of the dough. Prick with a fork to let out air bubbles. Braid some of the dough and place in a circle around the top edge of the bread (before baking). Bake at 350\u00b0 for about 1 hour.