Christopsomo – Greek Christmas Bread

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon plus 1 1/2 teaspoons active dry yeast (two 1/4-ounce sachets)
• 8 cups plain bread flour
• 1 3/4 cups sugar
• 2 cups whole milk, warmed
• 2 teaspoons ground anise seeds
• 1 teaspoon coarse salt
• 1 teaspoon finely grated orange zest
• 4 ounces (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted, plus more for pans
• 5 large eggs, lightly beaten
• Vegetable oil, for bowl
• 1 large egg yolk, lightly beaten with 1 tablespoon whole milk, for egg wash
• 3 tablespoons sesame seeds

Method

• Sprinkle yeast, 1 cup flour, and 1/4 cup sugar over milk in a medium bowl. Cover, and let stand for 1 hour.

• Combine remaining 7 cups flour and 1 1/2 cups sugar, the anise seeds, salt and  orange zest, . Make a well in center of mixture, and add milk mixture, melted butter, and eggs. Mix together ingredients using your hands. Once combined, turn out dough onto a lightly floured surface, and knead, adding more flour if needed, until smooth and supple, about 15 minutes.

• Transfer dough to a lightly oiled bowl. Cover with cloth, and let rise in a warm place until doubled in volume, 1 1/2 to 2 hours.

• Butter two pans. Knead down the dough, divide in half, and place into a  prepared pan. Cover with a cloth, and let rise until doubled in volume, 1 1/2 to 2 hours. With a small amount, make  Crosses for the bread and place on the top of the loaf.

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Brush egg wash over tops of loaves, and sprinkle with sesame seeds. Bake until golden brown, about 45 minutes. Transfer pans to a wire rack, and let cool for 15 minutes. Run a knife around edge of pans, and remove bread. Let cool completely on wire rack.