A sweet egg and butter enriched bread made during day of the dead.

Preparation

Combine preferment ingredients into electric mixing bowl with paddle attachment and mix till combined.

Transfer contents to an oiled bowl and cover with plastic wrap, allow to double in size approximately 1 hour. Once doubled add back into mixing bowl with bread hook attachment. Add mixing bowl add sugar, cubed room temperature butter. Mix to combine and using a spatula scrape down sides of mixer. Next add eggs one at a time, orange juice, orange blossom water, scraped vanilla bean, and orange zest. Mix on high till dough balls up on hook. Scrape back into oiled bowl and cover with plastic wrap, let rest for an hour or till doubled in size. Remove dough from bowl and place onto oiled work surface, split dough in half. Take the half and then separate 1/3 from it. Working with the larger piece roll into a round. Now working with the leftover 1/3 divide this dough into 3 even pieces. The first will be shaped into a round the other 2 shaped into small baguettes. Lay the 2 baguette shapes over the top of the larger round forming an x now place the small round over to of the x. Repeat with the second loaf. Place both loaves onto oiled baking sheet. Allow to proof in a warm part of the kitchen for an hour. Preheat oven to 350F. Brush loaves with egg whites and dust with granulated sugar. Bake till golden brown.