Zupfa and Dubli Swiss Braided Loaf and Christmas Doves
My great-grandmother, Marie Luise Streit, was an immigrant from Switzerland. She made zupfa and dubli and mailed them to her grandchildren at Christmas. Once baked, the baby doves are properly displayed gathered around the braided loaf.
Servings: 20 people
Ingredients
Bread
- 2 packages yeast
- 1 tsp sugar
- 1 cup warm water
- 1/2 cup shortening
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 2 Tbsp salt
- 3 beaten eggs
- 1/2 Cup warm water
- 10 Cups sifted flour
"Paint"
- 1 beaten egg
- 1 tsp granulated sugar
- dash salt
- 2 Tbsp milk
- 2 Tbsp oil
Instructions
Bread
- Mix yeast, 1 tsp. sugar, and 1 cup of warm water and keep at 80-90 degrees and away from drafts. If the mixture doesn't bubble, throw out the mixture and start again.
- Combine warm milk, shortening, sugar and salt. Mix it to dissolve the sugar and melt the shortening. Allow this mixture to cool so the eggs aren't cooked nor the yeast killed.
- Add yeast mixture.
- Add 3 beaten eggs and the last 1/2 cup of warm water.
- Combine the flour with the liquids.
- Knead until flour is well-mixed with the liquids. If the dough is sticky, "add flour until it's no longer sticky".
- Place the dough in a greased bowl large enough to allow it to rise until doubled--about 1 1/2 hours.
- After dough has doubled in size, punch it down and shape it into zupfa or dubli. Let rise again until double--about 45 minutes.
- Mix all of the ingredients for the "paint" and brush it on the bread.
- Cut the wings and tails for the dubli.
- Preheat oven to 350.Bake dubli for about 20-25 minutes.Bake zupfa for about 45 minutes.Baking time will vary according to size.
Notes
