Yeasted Mazurka

Description
In Romanian: Mazurca dospita in apa

Ingredients

 * 13 yolks
 * ½ cup warm melted butter
 * ½ cup tepid milk
 * 1 cup confectioner's sugar
 * 1 oz / 25 g yeast
 * salt
 * 1 teaspoon vanilla
 * flour as needed

Directions

 * 1) Mix the yeast with 1 teaspoon sugar, pour the tepid milk and a little flour to obtain a dough starter.
 * 2) Let it rise a little.
 * 3) Then add yolks beaten with sugar and tepid butter, salt and vanilla.
 * 4) Knead with flour the same way as for sweet breads.
 * 5) Put this dough into a cloth or fabric sack, tie tightly (but leave room for the dough to rise) and submerge into a large pot or bucket with cold water.
 * 6) Leave it this way from morning till evening (or from the preceding evening to the next day).
 * 7) When the dough has risen enough, bring it to the surface of the water.
 * 8) Remove from the cloth, place on the pastry board and shape into little pretzels, small figure eight (8) or snails.
 * 9) Place on the baking sheet, leave ½ hour in a warm place, wash with egg (they may be sprinkled with ground walnuts or ground blanched almonds).
 * 10) Bake at medium heat.