Swedish Saffron Bread
On the morning of Dec. 13, Swedish families recall St. Lucia with saffron buns served by a girl wearing a crown of candles. During the rest of the holiday season, saffron bread is braided into a wreath or simply baked in a pan so it can be easily sliced.
I got this recipe a long time ago, probably from a magazine article. It uses ground nuts in the dough giving it a heavier texture than many breads, which I am not as fond of. Be sure to allow plenty of time for it to rise and use bread flour for best gluten structure. You could also cut back the amount of ground almonds in the recipe. See Also English Saffron Bread.
I did not find any other recipe for Swedish Saffron Bread on the Internet that used ground almonds in the dough. Most have some sort of filling such as almond paste in the center, or another filling as in this recipe: Swedish Saffron Braided Bread with Vanilla Cream: https://www.delscookingtwist.com/swedish-saffron-braided-bread-with-vanilla-cream/
Sponge:
1 cup milk, scalded
3/4 cup sugar
1/4 tsp. salt
1 pkg. active dry yeast (2 1/4 tsp.)
1/4
cup warm water (110 degrees)
1/2 tsp. ground saffron
2 cups bread flour
1 egg, beaten
To Finish the Bread Dough:
1/2 cup butter, melted
1/2 cup ground almonds
1/2 cup raisins
2 cups bread flour (or less to make a soft dough)
Topping
1 egg white beaten with 2 Tbsp. water
2 Tbsp. slivered almonds mixed with 1 Tbsp. sugar (double the amount of almonds if making two braids instead of one)
Mix together the milk, sugar and salt [and saffron once luke warm. You should let saffron sit is a warm liquid for about 20 minutes to bloom it. Properly blooming saffron allows the spice to open up and let all of its aromatic flavors show.] Let cool. Sprinkle the yeast in the warm water and let proof. Add to the cooled milk mixture along with the saffron, flour and beaten egg. Mix well, cover bowl with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place until double in bulk.
Beat down and add, in order: the butter, ground almonds, raisins and enough additional flour to make a soft dough. Knead well until you have a smooth dough. Place in a greased bowl and cover with a tea towel. Let rise until double in bulk.
Punch down and form 3 rolls from 2/3 of the dough that are 2" thick and 12" long. With the remaining 1/3 dough, form 3 other rolls, 1" thick and 9" long. Form into 2 braids; pinch the ends together and tuck under the braid. Center the smaller braid on top of the larger one. Place on a greased baking sheet, cover with the tea towel and let rise until double. NOTE: Instead of making one large braid, you can cut the dough in half and make two breads. Roll the pieces into 1 1/2 " rolls about 12" long.
Preheat oven to 300 degrees F. When ready to bake, brush the bread with the egg white and water mixture, and sprinkle with the almond and sugar mixture.
Bake for 50 - 60 minutes until the bread is nicely browned and sounds hallow when tapped on the bottom.
Makes 1 large braid (or 2 smaller ones)
