Easter Bunny Easter Bread

1. Stage

Whisk warm milk, 1/4 cup flour, and yeast for dough together in the bowl of a stand mixer. Let sit about 15 minutes to ensure yeast is active; small bubbles should start to rise to the surface. Add sugar, beaten egg, lemon and orange zest, cinnamon, salt, cardamom, nutmeg, melted butter, and most of the remaining flour (you might not need it all). Mix with a dough hook attachment until dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl and becomes slightly elastic, 5 or 6 minutes. Continue kneading until dough is soft and shiny, about 10 minutes. Remove dough from dough hook and shape into a ball. Transfer to a lightly floured work surface.

2. Stage

Shape dough into a round ball. Transfer to lightly oiled mixing bowl. Cover and let rise in a relatively warm, draft-free place until double in size, about 2 hours.

3. Stage

Poke dough down a bit with your fingertips. Transfer to a lightly floured work surface. Work dough into a uniform piece and cut into eight 4-ounce pieces. Roll one piece with the flats your hands into a 12-inch rope; it's okay if one end is a little thicker than the other.

4. Stage

Cut 2 inches off the smaller end and 3 inches off the larger end. Roll the 2-inch piece into a ball for the tail. Roll the ends of the 3-inch piece into points, then flatten one end slightly for the face. Roll the remaining piece into a 12-inch rope, about 1/2 inch wide.

5. Stage

Transfer the rope to a Silpat®-lined baking sheet and make a coil for the body. The end of the coil will be the bunny's front legs and paws, so place the head on top of that, touching the body, with the flatter side facing the same way as the paws.

6. Stage

Cut the back side of the head (the pointy side) about 2/3 of the way in towards the face to make 2 ears. Make depressions in the middle of each ear with a bench scraper or the back of a knife; do not cut all the way through. Set the tail in place, touching the back of the body.

7. Stage

Repeat to form remaining bunnies; you will use 2 lined baking sheets for 8 bunnies. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and proof in a warm spot for 15 minutes.

8. Stage

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Beat egg and water together for egg wash.

9. Stage

Remove plastic wrap from the baking sheets and brush dough with egg wash. Poke small holes in the faces for eyes, then push raisins in the holes. Redefine the ears by pressing again with a bench scraper or knife.

10. Stage

Bake in the center of the preheated oven until beautifully browned, 12 to 15 minutes. Carefully remove from the pan and transfer to a wire rack to cool.

11. Stage

Cut into the center of the ears again to redefine them. Brush bunnies with simple syrup and sprinkle coconut onto the tails.