Cornish Saffron Bread Food

CORNISH SAFFRON BUNS

Steps:

• Heat the milk in a saucepan to almost boiling point. Remove from the heat and lightly crumble the saffron threads between your fingers into the milk, then stir. Stir in the clotted cream and butter until fully melted. Set aside to infuse for 15-20 minutes or until the mixture is about blood temperature and a golden yellow colour.
• Combine the sifted flour, salt, sugar and yeast in the bowl of a food mixer fitted with a dough hook. Make a well in the centre and add the warm milk mixture. Stir to combine. Knead on a slow speed for about 5 minutes.
• Add the raisins and mixed peel and continue to knead for a further 5 minutes until the dough feels springy and elastic. It should bounce back when pressed with a finger.
• Cover the bowl with cling film or a clean tea towel and leave to rise in a warm place for about 45-60 minutes, or until doubled in size. (Alternatively combine all the ingredients - except the raisins and peel - in a bowl and add the warm milk mixture. Knead by hand briefly until you have a smooth dough, then add the dried fruit and knead for a further 6-8 minutes until smooth and elastic).
• When risen, turn the dough out onto a floured board and knock it back (knock the air out of the dough) and knead for a couple of minutes.
• Divide the dough into 8-10 even pieces and roll each into a ball. Arrange them on on a baking sheet, leaving some space between each. Cover with a tea towel or cling film and leave to rise again for about 25-30 minutes.
• Preheat the oven to 200C/180C Fan/Gas 6.
• Bake the buns for about 20 minutes until risen and golden.
• While the buns are in the oven, make the glaze. Dissolve the caster sugar in a pan with 3 tablespoons of water. Bring to the boil for about a minute to create a glossy syrup.
• Remove the buns from the oven and put on a wire rack. Brush the tops with the syrup and leave to cool a little. Serve warm with butter or clotted cream, or allow to cool and serve halved and toasted with butter.

WELSH SAFFRON BREAD

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• Pour 2 cups boiling water on dried currants and soak for 15 minutes, then drain. Pour remaining water over saffron and steep until cool.
• Cream butter and sugar until well blended, about 3 minutes. Add eggs one at a time, blending after each. Add lemon zest and juice.
• Combine dry ingredients in a bowl and add to the sugar-butter mixture, alternately with the saffron water, beating until just blended. Stir in raisins and drained currants. Pour into a greased and floured loaf pan. Bake 40 - 50 minutes until top is golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Tip out onto a rack to cool.

SAFFRON BREAKFAST BREAD

Steps:

• Place bread flour, milk, eggs, sugar, butter, yeast, salt, and saffron in a bread machine in the order recommended by the manufacturer.
• Program the bread machine for the dough cycle; press "Start." Mix raisins into the dough by hand after the cycle is complete.
• Divide dough into 9 pieces. Roll each piece into a log 6 to 7 inches long. Pinch the ends of 3 logs together and form a 3-strand braid. Pinch ends together at the bottom of the braid. Repeat with remaining logs to make 2 more braided loaves.
• Transfer loaves to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, placing them several inches apart. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and let rise until doubled, about 30 minutes.
• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
• Bake in the preheated oven until loaves are a light golden brown, about 15 minutes.

SAFFRON BREAD

Steps:

• Steep the saffron in the hot water overnight. Make sure you use a container that is covered to keep the heat inside. This step is crucial to getting the taste and flavor you want in the bread.
• The next morning, Sift the flour into a very large bowl add the sugar then cut in the butter and crisco using a pastry cutter.
• Add the currants, raisins, orange peel, lemon rind, nutmeg, salt and saffron water.
• Mix together, then sprinkle the yeast on the top of the mixture and add the lukewarm water.
• Knead the bread mixture until everything is combined. The bread should be a light orange/dark yellow in color.
• Then place the bread in a warm location, covered. And allow to rise until doubled in size.
• Once doubled, knead the bread again, and allow to rise until doubled one more time.
• Cut the dough into 6 loaves.
• Knead each dough ball and then place the loaves into greased loaf pans.
• Cover the pans and allow to rise until about level with the top of the pans.
• Bake the loaves at 350 degrees for 1 hour.