Italian Easter Bread Recipe

In a large bowl, blend the sugar, salt, and yeast well with 1 cup of the flour. In a saucepan, combine milk and butter, heating slowly until liquid is warm and butter is melted. Pour the milk into the dry ingredients and beat 125 strokes with a wooden spoon. Add eggs and 1/2 cup flour or enough to make a thick batter. Beat vigorously for 2 minutes.
Then stir in enough flour to make a ball of dough that draws away from the sides of the bowl. Turn out onto a floured board and knead for 10 minutes, working in additional flour to overcome stickiness. Place the dough in a greased bowl, turning to grease the top. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and put in a warm, draft free place until doubled in bulk, about 1 hour. Meanwhile combine the fruit, nuts, and anise seed. Punch down the dough and return it to a lightly floured board. Knead in the fruit-nut mixture, keeping the syrupy pieces dusted with flour, until they are worked into the dough. Divide the dough in half. Carefully roll each piece into a 24 inch rope-the fruit and nuts will make this slightly difficult. Loosely twist the two ropes together to form a ring on a greased baking sheet. Pinch the ends together well. Brush the dough with melted shortening. Push aside the twist to make a place for each egg.
Push eggs down CAREFULLY, as far as possible. Cover the bread with waxed paper and let rise in a warm, draft free place until doubled in bulk, about 1 hour. Bake the bread in a preheated 350*F. oven for about 35 minutes or until a tooth pick inserted in a twist comes out clean. Place on a wire rack to cool. Once the bread is cool, drizzle the icing on top-BETWEEN the eggs, and decorate with colored sprinkles.