Grandma's Easter Bread
This bread is known as Pizza di Pasqua in Italy. This recipe is from my friend Patricia. It came from her grandmother's family. It's exquisite when lightly toasted and spread with butter and a small amount of honey!
bread flour, or more as needed
5
cups
white sugar
1
cup
white sugar
2
tablespoons
grated Romano cheese
⅔
cup
ground cinnamon
1
tablespoon
salt
1 ½
teaspoons
warm water
1
cup
active dry yeast
2
tablespoons
Valencia orange
1
medium
unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly
½
cup
eggs, beaten slightly
3
large
vanilla extract
1
tablespoon
 Combine 5 cups flour, 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar, Romano cheese, cinnamon, and salt in a large bowl; stir well and set aside.
  Stir warm water and yeast together in a small bowl. Set aside until dissolved and bubbly, 5 to 10 minutes.
  Zest and juice orange into a large bowl. Stir in melted butter, eggs, and vanilla extract until well combined. Stir in yeast mixture. Add flour mixture gradually, stirring as you go.
  Turn dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead for 8 to 10 minutes, adding up to 1 extra cup of flour as needed to keep dough manageable. Transfer to an oiled bowl, cover, and let rise until almost doubled in size, about 30 to 60 minutes.
  Punch dough down, cover and let rise again until almost doubled in size, 30 to 60 minutes.
  Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F (150 degrees C). Grease two 8-inch round loaf pans.
  Cut dough into 2 equal pieces and shape into loaves. Place in the prepared pans, cover, and let rise again until almost doubled in size, 30 to 60 minutes.
  Bake in the preheated oven until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 70 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cook on a wire rack.
