Ingredients:
5 C white bread flour plus extra for dusting
2 pkg. dry yeast
1 1/4 C lukewarm milk
1/4 C superfine sugar
pinch of ground cinnamon
pinch of ground nutmeg
pinch of powdered saffron
1/4 C butter, softened plus extra for greasing
1 egg yolk
1/2 tsp. salt
sugar for sprinkling
For filling:
9 oz. tiny sugar cubes or pearl sugar
1 tsp. cimmamon
Directions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees
Sift the flour into a large bowl and make a well in the centre. Add the yeast and a little milk and mix to a creamy consistency, incorporating some of the flour. Add 1 tsp. of the sugar. Cover with a clean dish towel and let stand for ten minutes.
Add the cinnamon, nutmeg and saffron to the remaining milk. Add mixture too the bowl and mix contents together. Add the egg yolk, the remaining sugar and the butter and knead briefly, then add the salt. Turn out onto a lightly floured surface and knead vigorously for at least 15 minutes until the dough is no longer sticky and is full of tiny bubbles. Add extra milk if necessary.
Form the dough into a ball and place it in a clean bowl. Cover with a dampened dish towel and let stand for at least one hour until doubled in bulk.
Toss the sugar cubes or pearl sugar in a bowl with the cinnamon, then flour your hands and knead the mixture into the bread dough
Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and form into a rectangle, 12 inches wide. Brush the flour away on both sides of the dough and roll up the rectangle, starting at the top or bottom, wherever the filling is most sparse.
Grease a rectangular loaf pan with butter and sprinkle with sugar. Put the dough into the pan with the seam at the bottom. Cover with a dampened dish towel and let stand at room temperature for about 1 hour until the dough has risen just above the rim. Place the bread pan on a baking sheet to prevent sugar from dripping onto oven. Bake for 30 minutes. If the top seems to be browning too quickly, cover pan with foil after 20 minutes. Brush the top of the loaf with cold water and return it to the oven for 1 minute. Turn out the loaf on wire rack and let cool. This is a delicious sweet bread, wonderful for breakfast. The recipe yields one loaf.
