Italian Easter Bread

Directions
Preparation:50min  ›  Cook:40min  ›  Extra time:1hour20min  ›  Ready in:2hours50min 

1. Mix yeast, water and 1 teaspoon of the sugar in a small bowl and let sit for 10 minutes.
2. In another larger bowl, mix milk, salt, butter, 2 eggs, and remaining 1/2 cup of sugar. Add about half of the flour and beat until very smooth. Pour in the yeast mixture. Add the remaining flour, making a stiff dough - can add additional flour if necessary.
3. Place dough on a floured board and knead until smooth and elastic. Put dough into greased bowl, cover bowl and let the dough rise until doubled in size.
4. Punch the dough down, place on a floured board and divide it into 6 equal pieces.
5. Roll each piece with your hands to form a 3cm thick rope and then shape rope into a "U" shape. Put a whole, raw egg into the inside of the "U", twisting the rope to form a fishtail at the bottom.
6. Brush each roll with the beaten egg, shake on some of the hundreds and thousands then place on a greased baking tray. Cover and let them rise until doubled in size. Bake at 180 degress C for about 35 to 40 minutes.