Viennese Braid

Description
In Romanian: Colac vienez

Sweet bread dough

 * 2 lbs / 1 kg flour
 * 10 oz / 300 g sugar
 * 1½ cups milk
 * 6 eggs
 * 2 oz / 50 g yeast
 * 7 oz / 200 g butter
 * 2 tablespoons oil
 * vanilla stick
 * salt
 * egg for washing the dough
 * grease for the pans

Filling

 * 6 oz / 150 g butter
 * 6 oz / 150 g confectioner's sugar
 * vanilla
 * 3 tablespoons cubed sugared orange peel

Sweet bread dough

 * 1) Make a starter from yeast and a teaspoon of sugar.
 * 2) Mix until the consistency of sour cream, add 2 – 3 tablespoons tepid milk, a little flour and mix well; sprinkle some flour on top, cover and let sit in a warm place to rise.
 * 3) Boil the milk with the vanilla stick (cut in very small pieces) and leave it on the side of the range, covered, to keep warm.
 * 4) Mix the yolks with the sugar and salt, then slowly pour the tepid milk, stirring continuously.
 * 5) Place the risen starter in a large bowl and pour, stirring continuously, the yolk-milk mixture and some flour, a little at a time.
 * 6) Then add 3 whipped egg whites. When you finish this step, start kneading.
 * 7) Knead, adding melted butter combined with oil, a little at a time, until the dough starts to easily come off your palms.
 * 8) Cover with a cloth and then something thicker (like a blanket).
 * 9) Leave in a warm place to triple in bulk.
 * 10) If during kneading the dough seems too hard, you may add a little milk.
 * If, on the contrary, the dough seems too soft, you may add a little flour.
 * 1) When the dough has risen well, take a piece of it, place on the floured work surface, give it the desired shape (round, oval, braided, etc.) and place in the baking pan previously greased with butter.
 * 2) Let rise some more in the pan in a warm place.

Filling

 * 1) Mix the butter with the sugar and vanilla until creamy.
 * 2) Refrigerate.

Assembly

 * 1) Roll a square shaped sheet of dough, about a finger thick.
 * 2) Then spread the butter mixture, uniformly, over the dough.
 * 3) Sprinkle the orange peel on top.
 * 4) Then fold the dough three ways (three-fold), so that the right third comes over the left third.
 * 5) Cut it lengthwise in three equal strips and braid.
 * 6) Join the ends securely and arrange the braid in a round pan that was covered with buttered paper.
 * 7) Let it rise a little in the pan and then set into the oven, at low heat, until well risen, then at medium heat.
 * 8) Remove from the pan after is has cooled off.