It is fast approaching the time to make Christopsomo.  Christmas is just a few days away.  This is one of the recipes I enjoy planning to make almost as much as making it.  I hope you’ll enjoy it too!

These days not many people I talk with bake their own bread.  Our local Harmon’s store has a wonderful bakery.  They make their own sour dough bread…..which is rare and which I appreciate so much.  They have a great challah braided loaf with a shiny golden top which is delicious and which I buy often.   Put it side by side with Christopsomo, however, and I would choose Christopsomo every time.   So, read the recipe, get the stuff and make a loaf.   I know you can do it.  You just have to want to.

CHRISTOPSOMO

1/2 cup milk
1 cup butter
2/3 cup sugar
1 tsp. salt
2 tsp. crushed anise seed
2 pkg. active dry yeast
1/2 cup warm water
1 tsp. sugar
5 eggs
5 1/2 to 6 cups flour
1 T. milk
1 jar maraschino cherries

Combine milk, butter, sugar and salt in small saucepan and
bring to a boil.  Cool to lukewarm.

 Meanwhile, crush anise
seeds.  I do a fine chop thru the pile of seeds on my cutting
board.  They pop around a bit…..just scoop them  back into the
pile and set aside.  Sprinkle yeast over the 1/2 cup water with
the tsp. sugar and dissolve.  Now combine the cooled milk
mixture with the yeast and anise seed.

Beat 4 of the eggs in a mixer bowl and add the milk mixture.
Gradually add 2 cups of flour to the liquid, beat until smooth.
Gradually add an additional 3 cups of flour.  Then turn out onto
a floured board and knead until smooth.  In a dry climate, like
Utah I use about 1/2 cup flour in the kneading process.  If you’re
in a more humid area, your dough may be a little sticky so add
another 1/2 cup flour as you knead.  You want it to be
smooth and elastic.  Place in a buttered bowl, cover and put
in a warm place to double in size.

Punch down and knead a couple of minutes on a lightly floured
board.  Pinch off 2 pieces of dough about 2″ in diameter.
Set them aside.  Shape the remainder into a round loaf and place
on a buttered baking sheet.  Flatten to a rounded disk shape.
Roll each of the balls of dough into ropes long enough so that
they extend 2″ over each side of the loaf.  Cut a slit in the ends
about 5″ long.  Lay one rope over the loaf and form circles with
the cut ends, pressing them into the loaf gently to seal.  Place
the other rope on top of the first forming a cross in the center
of the loaf.  Repeat making circles with the cut ends.  Press
the cherries into the center of each circle.  Cover, let rise until
doubled in size.

Beat the remaining egg with 1 T. milk and brush over the loaf.

Bake in a 350 degree oven for 40 to 45 minutes or until it sounds
hollow when tapped.

This bread makes the best french toast.  Sprinkle some cinnamon into your egg mixture
before soaking the bread.  The anise, the cinnamon and the occasional bite of maraschino cherry…………umm!  Maple syrup of course.

Bye the bye,  Whole Foods bakery introduced me to a good sour dough  loaf that they get from Eva’s Bakery in Salt Lake City.  It’s made from their own sour dough starter.  And get this:  they don’t add additional yeast.  Most bakeries do.   If that’s important to you, you know who you are.