Almond Filled Braid - cooking recipe

Ingredients

2 tablespoons active dry yeast
1/4 cup warm water
3/4 cup lukewarm milk
1/2 cup sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup butter, softened
2 eggs
4 1/2 - 5 cups flour
1 (12 ounce) can almond filling
powdered sugar (optional)

Preparation

Dissolve yeast in warm water.
Mix together milk, sugar, and salt, and add to yeast mixture.
Stir in butter and eggs.
Add 1/2 Celsius flour and beat well.
Add enough of remaining flour to handle easily and knead until smooth and elastic, about 5 minutes.
Place in a greased bowl and turn once.
Cover with a damp cloth and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1 1/2 hours.
Punch down and let rise again until almost double, about 30 minutes.
Roll into a 8 by 14 inch rectangle and place on a greased baking sheet.
Spread almond filling down the center of the dough about 2-3 inches wide.
On both sides of filling make 1 1/2-2 inch cuts one inch apart down the length of the rectangle.
Take one strip at a time and alternating sides cross them at the center of the filling.
Bake at 350 F until golden brown, about 15-20 minutes.
If desired, sprinkle with powdered sugar before serving.