Does our mood cue certain foods? Or do certain foods cue feelings? When you get a whiff of autumn leaves and colder temperatures, does hot cocoa appeal to you? For me, putting up a new wall calendar means it is the Feast of the Epiphany and time to make this sweet yeast bread. Different cookbooks call this by different names, but it is a basic sweet roll dough that can be flavored as you choose.
This variation is filled with almonds, almond paste, maraschino cherries and dried apricots, but you can omit the orange rind, add vanilla, and fill with cinnamon, brown sugar, and walnuts.
The point is to start the New Year with a bit of special sweetness to share with family and friends.
Ingredients:1 package dry yeast
1/4 cup warm water
2/3 cup buttermilk, lukewarm
1 egg, beaten
2 teaspoons of grated orange rind (can add another 1/4 teaspoon of Fiori di Scilia, if desired)
1/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour (can also use a 2 1/4 cups of bread flour instead of all-purpose)
1/4 cup margarine, melted (for brushing on dough)
3.5 oz. almond paste, rolled out into a paper-thin sheet
Slivered almonds
1/4 cup chopped maraschino cherries
1/4 cup chopped dried apricots
Instructions:Place one package (2 1/4 teaspoons) active dry yeast in the bowl of a stand mixer. Add the warm water and a teaspoon of the sugar from the 1/4 cup. Watch the surface of the water. If the yeast is active, you should see it multiplying. It forms little clouds in the water as it blooms.
If you do not see action, you either have old yeast or your water was too warm and killed the yeast. Start over.
If your yeast is forming clouds, please proceed.
Add the lukewarm buttermilk, beaten egg, orange zest, sugar, baking powder and salt and one cup of the flour. Attach the beater blade and mix. The dough will still be soupy. Scrape the bowl with a spatula. Take off the beater blade and attach the dough hook. If your mixer has a pour shield, you may want to use it for the next step.
Gradually add the rest of the flour using the dough hook. This should be added a quarter cup at a time, scraping the bowl frequently to test the stickiness of the dough. The dough hook will work up the gluten in the flour making the dough elastic and easier to handle. Depending on the protein content of the flour you are using, you may need a bit more flour to make the dough of handling consistency.
Turn out onto floured surface and knead for about five minutes until the dough is no longer sticky and can be rolled into an oblong rectangle about 15 inches long and 8 inches deep. Brush oblong with butter, lay sheets of almond paste on the buttered surface, brush more butter onto the almond paste and sprinkle with slivered almonds, cherries, and chopped dried apricots.
Bring the 15-inch sides together over the filling and pinch the seams together. Place the roll on a parchment or silicon lined baking sheet with the seam side down. Bring the two ends together and pinch closed.
Let the dough rest for about 10 minutes.
Use kitchen scissors to make cuts about 3/4 of the way to the center of the ring. Do this at one and a half to two-inch intervals. Gently pull each cut and turn sideways.
Allow the dough to rise. You can do this in a sunny window with a sheet of waxed paper and a flour sack towel over the dough, or you can set the baking sheet on any available space near your oven as you preheat it to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. After about forty minutes, the ring should have doubled in size.
Bake in 375-degree Fahrenheit oven for about 20-25 minutes until golden brown. If after 15 minutes the ring looks like it is browning too fast, simply place a loose sheet of foil over the center for the last 5 to 10 minutes. The test for doneness in breads is when you can flick your finger off your thumb and the sound against the outside crust is hollow.
Ice with decorators’ drizzle frosting flavored with almond or vanilla extract as you choose. Make this with a cup of confectioner’s sugar, a tablespoon of milk and, if desired, a tablespoon of butter mashed together. Add powdered sugar and milk until you reach drizzling consistency. Add flavorings and a pinch of salt to taste. Use extra cherries and slivered almonds as decoration.
Enjoy with family or invite friends over for coffee and this sweet treat. It is a great way to start the New Year.
