For the dough you will need:
- 3 3/4 cups flour
- 1/3 cup sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon instant yeast
- 2/3 cup milk
- 1/4 cup butter
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 2 eggs, room temperature
- Mix 2 cups of the flour, sugar, salt and yeast in mixing bowl and set aside.
- Heat milk and butter in a pyrex cup in microwave until mixture is warm and the butter is melted. Add vanilla.
- Pour milk mixture over the dry ingredients and mix until moistened.
- Add eggs, one at a time and stir just until eggs are mixed in. If you forgot to take the eggs out of the fridge ahead of time, just place the eggs before cracking them, in warm water for a minute or so and they will be at room temperature.
- Add the rest of the flour a bit at a time, kneading dough until well mixed. This takes only a few minutes, the dough will still be slightly sticky. If you find it too sticky just add a bit more flour, a tablespoon at a time until you can handle the dough easily.
- Place dough in a large bowl, cover and let rise until double, approx 1 hour.
- 1/2 cup sugar
- Grated zest from 3 lemons
- 1/4 cup butter, melted
- Using a fork mix the sugar and lemon zest together in a small bowl.
- Melt butter in a separate bowl.
- Once dough is risen roll out to a 12 x 20" piece. Brush with melted butter and sprinkle with the lemon sugar mixture.
- Cut the dough crosswise into 5 strips. Layer the strips on top of each other carefully and cut into 6 squares.
- Place these squares sideways into a greased 5 1/2 by 9 1/2" bread pan. Or you could use 2 smaller loaf pans.
- Let rise until almost doubled, approx 25 minutes.
- Bake in 350º for 35 minutes until golden in color.
- You can peel off these layers of lemony yummy-ness and eat plain or mix a lemon glaze to drizzle on top.
- 1/4 cup cream cheese, softened
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1/3 cup icing sugar
- Mix until smooth.
