Pregnant Doll (Easter Baby)

Easter babies are an Italian tradition in my husband’s family.

Original recipe makes 6 individual breads

Ingredients

1/4 cup warm water
1/2 cup white sugar
1 (.25 ounce) package active dry yeast
1 cup scalded milk
1/3 cup butter
2 eggs, beaten
1 pinch salt
3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 egg
1 teaspoon water
6 whole eggs in the shell
2 1/4 ounces colored candy sprinkles

PREP

45 mins
COOK

35 mins
READY IN

2 hrs 50 mins

Directions

Mix yeast, water, and 1 teaspoon of the sugar in a small bowl and let sit for 10 minutes.
In a separate bowl, mix milk, salt, butter, 2 eggs, and remaining 1/2 cup of sugar. Add about half of the flour and beat until very smooth, then pour in the yeast mixture. Add the remaining flour, making a stiff dough–you can add additional flour if necessary.
Place dough on a floured board and knead until smooth and elastic. Put dough into greased bowl, cover bowl with plastic wrap, and let the dough rise until doubled in size, about 1 hour.
Deflate the dough, place it on a floured board, and divide it into 6 equal pieces. Shape into rounds and cover with plastic wrap while you roll out each piece.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease a baking sheet or line it with parchment paper.
Roll a dough piece with your hands to form a 1-inch-thick rope, and then shape rope into a "U" shape. Put a whole, raw egg into the inside of the "U", twisting the rope to form a fishtail at the bottom. Transfer loaf to prepared baking sheet and repeat with remaining dough.
Brush each "baby" with the beaten egg and decorate with colored sprinkles. Allow loaves to rest until doubled in size, about 30 minutes. Bake in preheated oven until golden brown, 35 to 40 minutes.