Saffron Braid with Raisins

UIB: 'Staple food for some, luxury or modern dietary food for others - bread in itself means so much that it deserves a World Day in its honour!'

I totally agree with that and love to participate to World Bread Day 2007.

Thank you Zorra for launching this event!

Below I describe the procedure (adapted from 'A blessing of Bread' from Maggie Glezer) for making a high two-stranded braid.

Dough:
500 gram bread flour
1.1/2 ts. yeast
60 gram caster sugar
200 gram milk
0,2 gram ground saffron
2 eggs M beaten
50 gram unsalted butter softened
1.1/2 ts. bread salt
100 gram raisins

Egg wash:
1 egg
1 tbs. milk

pearl sugar (optional)

Heat the milk (microwave: 1 minute/600 watt) and dissolve the ground saffron into the milk. Place the flour, yeast and sugar into the mixing bowl and mix together well. Add the saffron milk and beaten eggs and mix with the flat beater (KitchenAid/speed 1) until the liquids has been absorbed. Remove the flat beater and cover the bowl: let the dough rest for 20 minutes. Add the salt and butter. Place the dough hook and knead further (KitchenAid/speed 2) - about 10 minutes – until smooth and elastic and the dough only stick a little bit to the bottom of the bowl. If the dough is too soft and sticky, mix in more flour and if too stiff or dry, mix in more water. Add the raisins when the dough is almost ready. Transfer the dough to a lightly greased bowl and cover with lightly greased plastic wrap. Let the dough rise on a warm and draft free place, about 90 minutes, until it has doubled in size. Transfer the dough to a lightly floured work surface and deflate the dough. Divide the dough into two pieces, shape them into rounds and allow them to rest, covered, for about 10 minutes. Make two strands of equal thickness and length, about 23 inch (60 cm).

Cross the two pieces over their center, placing the 'vertical' strand on top. Bring all four ends down toward you, making a large M shape (1).




Move the far-right strand over the strand to the left of it (2).







Move the second-to-the-left strand over the two strands to the right, making it the far-right strand (3).





Move the far-left strand over the strand to the right of it (4).







Move the second-to-the-right strand over the two strands over the two strands to the left, making it the far-left strand (5).





Repeat these steps until the dough is braided (6).







Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Place the braid on the parchment paper and cover it with lightly greased plastic wrap. Let it rise for 45-60 minutes on a warm and draft free place until it has almost doubled in size. Beat the remaining egg with the milk and brush on the braid. Sprinkle with pearl sugar. Preheat the oven to 350 °F (175 °C) and bake the braid for 50 minutes or until golden brown and the bottom of the loaf sounds hollow when tapped. Remove to a wire rack and cool.