Russian Easter Bread - cooking recipe

Ingredients

5 tbsp butter, melted
3 None egg yolks, at room temperature
3 cups flour, sifted
2/3 cup milk, warmed
2/3 cup candied orange peel, chopped into small pieces
1 tbsp active dry yeast
1/2 cup sugar
1 None egg, beaten
1 tbsp milk
12 None blanched almonds

Preparation

Sprinkle the yeast over the warm milk in a small bowl and add a pinch of sugar. Let the yeast soften for about 5 mins. Add 2 tbsp of the flour; stir with a fork until the mixture is smooth. Cover and let stand for 30 mins.
Whisk butter, sugar, egg yolks and a pinch of salt in a medium bowl. Stir into the yeast mixture. Add to remaining flour in a large bowl. Mix with your hands (or with the dough hook of an electric mixer) until you have a soft, smooth dough. Add a little more flour needed, but don't make it too dry.
Turn the dough out onto floured work surface and flatten slightly. Sprinkle with the chopped peel and knead throughout the dough with your hands.
Form the dough into a smooth ball. Place in a greased bowl. Cover with a damp cloth or encase the bowl in a large plastic bag and set aside to proof. It should double in size in about 1 1/2 hours. (You could also place dough in the refrigerator, well covered, to proof overnight. Remove in the morning and let stand at room temperature for 1 hour before continuing with the recipe.)
Preheat the oven to 375\u00b0F. Lightly flour a baking pan.
Scrape the dough out onto floured work surface. Flatten slightly then divide into three equal parts (Use scales to get an accurate division).
Using your hands, roll each piece of dough into a long cylinder about 1 inch in diameter and about 18 inches long.
Braid the three rolls of dough together fairly loosely. Pinch them together at each end. Carefully transfer the braid to the baking pan. Cover with a dry cloth and let rise for 30 mins.
For the glaze, combine the beaten egg and milk in a small bowl. Brush the glaze gently over the braid. Push a blanched almond fairly firmly into the top of each mound then glaze the braid again.
Bake for 30-40 mins until a dark golden color. Cool on a wire rack, then slice. Serve with butter and jam or on its own.