Soften active dry yeast in warm water or compressed yeast in lukewarm water.
Pour hot milk over pudding mix, butter, and salt.
Stir till butter melts and pudding dissolves; cool to lukewarm.
Add 11/2 cups of the flour and mix well.
Stir in softened yeast and 3 beaten eggs; beat well.
Gradually add remaining flour (or a little more or less to make a soft dough).
Turn out on lightly floured surface.
Cover and let rest 10 minutes.
Knead till smooth and elastic (8 to 10 minutes).
Place in lightly greased bowl, turning once to grease surface.
Cover; let rise till double (about 1 1/4 hours).
Punch down; let rise again till almost double (45 to 60 minutes).
Turn out on lightly floured surface and divide dough in fourths; form in balls.
Cover and let rest 10 minutes.
Easter Basket Bread: Shape 3 parts into strands, each 20 inches long; braid.
Fit braid into greased 9xl 1/2 inch round pan. (Dough will almost fill pan.)
Tuck 4 uncooked eggs into braid.
Lemon Buns: Divide remaining piece of dough in 5 parts.
Shape 4 parts in round buns and place on greased baking sheet.
Press an egg in center of each.
Divide remaining dough in 4 equal parts.
Roll each in pencil like strip, 16 inches long.
Cut in 4 inch strips.
Crisscross 2 strips over each egg in buns and basket, pressing ends gently into dough.
Cover and let rise till almost double (about 45 minutes).
Brush all with mixture of beaten egg and water; sprinkle with dec orettes.
Bake at 375° for 25 to 30 minutes for Basket and 15 minutes for Buns.
Makes 1 Basket and 4 Buns.