MMMMM----- Recipe via Meal-Master (tm) v8.06
 
      Title: Plain Saffron Bread
 Categories: Breads
      Yield: 2 Loaves
 
MMMMM--------------------PLAIN SAFFRON BREAD-------------------------
    1/2 ts Saffron threads
    1/3 c  Water; boiling
      1 tb Active dry yeast
      2 tb Granulated sugar
    1/2 c  Water; warm, (100-115°F /
           -37.7-46°C)
      1 c  Evaporated milk; scant
      1 tb Butter
      1 ts Salt; heaping
      4 c  All purpose flour; more if
           -necessary, up to 5 c

MMMMM--------------------SAFFRON FRUIT BREAD-------------------------
      2    Eggs
    1/2 c  Granulated sugar
      2 ts Ground cinnamon
      1 ts Grated nutmeg
      1 ts Ground cloves
    1/2 c  Currants; chopped
    1/2 c  Citron; chopped
      1 tb Caraway seeds
 
  Pour the boiling water over the saffron and steep 5 minutes. Cool and
  reserve.
  
  Mix the yeast and sugar in the 1/2 cup warm water and let proof.
  
  Scald the milk and add the butter and salt. Cool.
  
  Combine these three mixtures and blend well.
  
  Add the flour, 1 cup at a time, and beat hard with a wooden spoon. Use
  enough flour to make a stiff, sticky dough.
  
  Turn the dough out on a lightly floured surface and knead until
  smooth and elastic.
  
  Shape the dough into a ball, put in a buttered bowl, and turn to coat
  the surface with butter. Cover, set in a warm, draft-free place, and
  let rise until doubled in bulk.
  
  Punch down, turn out, and knead for another minute. Put back in the
  bowl to rise again until doubled in bulk.
  
  Punch down, shape into two loaves, and put in buttered 8x4x2-inch loaf
  tins. Cover and let rise to double in bulk again. Bake in a preheated
  oven at 425°F/218°C for 10 minutes, then lower the temperature to
  350°F/177°C and continue baking for 20-25 minutes more, until the
  crust is a dark, lustrous color and the bread sounds hollow when
  rapped on top and bottom with the knuckles. Cool on racks before
  serving.
  
  Saffron Fruit Bread:
  
  Use the ingredients in the plain recipe, plus the ingredients for the
  fruit variation.
  
  Add the eggs, additional sugar, and spices to the dough before first
  kneading, pluss additional flour if needed to compensate for the eggs.
  
  After the first rising, knead in the currants, citron, and caraway
  seeds lightly dusted with flour. Proceed as in the master recipe,
  except that you will use 9x5x3-inch pans. The dough can also be
  shaped into buns, placed on greased baking sheets, and allowed to
  rise until almost double in bulk.
  
  Bake at 400°F/205°C for approximately 20-25 minutes.
  
  RECIPE FROM: James Beard. Beard on Bread. New York: Alfred A. Knopf,
  1974.
  
  Recipe by Beard On Bread
 
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