Saffron Bread

A wreath-shaped twisted bread loaf with chocolate.

A festive classic, this beautiful saffron bread is dairy and egg-free. Saffron adds a beautiful golden colour and rich flavour to this sweet loaf.

Course Bread, Cake, Chocolate, Desserts, holiday, Pantry Recipes

Cuisine German

Diet Vegan, Vegetarian

Prep Time 25

Cook Time 30

Rising Time 1 30

Total Time 2 25

Servings

Calories 266kcal

Author Alexandra Daum

Ingredients

250 ml (1 cup) non-dairy milk or regular dairy milk
1 pinch saffron threads ~½ gram
3 tablespoons coconut oil
2 tablespoons honey or sugar
2 ¼ teaspoons dry yeast or ½ cube fresh
450 grams (2 ½ to 3 cups) light spelt flour
½ teaspoon sea salt

Filling

2 tablespoons coconut oil softened
50 grams (¼ cup) sugar a dark sugar is best
50 grams (¼ cup) dark chocolate chopped
50 grams (¼ cup) dates finely chopped

Metric - Cups

Instructions

Add the milk to a small saucepan with the saffron threads and heat over low-medium until just simmering. Whisk in the coconut oil and honey, then pour into a large heatproof bowl.
250 ml (1 cup) non-dairy milk, 1 pinch saffron threads, 3 tablespoons coconut oil, 2 tablespoons honey
Let the milk mixture cool until just warm to the touch, then whisk in the yeast. Leave it for 15 minutes, or until foaming.
2 ¼ teaspoons dry yeast, 450 grams (2 ½ to 3 cups) light spelt flour, ½ teaspoon sea salt
If using cups, stir in 1 cup of flour along with the salt. Add the remaining flour in ½ cup increments, stirring between each addition, until it becomes too difficult to mix with a wooden spoon. If measuring with grams (recommended) you can add all the flour at once.
Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead until a soft, smooth dough forms, around eight minutes by hand or five to six minutes with a machine. Resist adding too much more flour if kneading by hand.
Place the kneaded dough back into the bowl. Place a large plate over the bowl and set it into a warm place to rise until doubled in size, about an hour.
Set aside a large baking sheet. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and roll into a large rectangle, about 1.5 cm (¾ inch) thickness. Spread with the coconut oil, then top with the sugar, chocolate, and dates in an even layer.
2 tablespoons coconut oil, 50 grams (¼ cup) sugar, 50 grams (¼ cup) dark chocolate, 50 grams (¼ cup) dates
Roll the dough up lengthwise into a log, the cut lengthwise down the centre into two long strips. Leave the top 5 cm (2 inches) of dough uncut to create an anchor.
With the cut side facing up, twist the two pieces around one another, lifting one and placing it over the other from top to bottom. Give yourself plenty of space for this.
Form the wreath. Bring the ends around to each other, then cut your anchor and wrap the two pieces around the other end of the coil and tuck underneath, pressing lightly to stick. I recommend doing this on a sheet of parchment paper so that it can be easily transferred to the baking sheet.
Gently lift your completed wreath onto the baking sheet and cover with a clean tea towel. Adjust to make sure you have the desired shape (now, before it proofs a second time).
Place in a warm spot to rise again for 30 minutes, covered with a tea towel.
While the dough is proofing, preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F). Once it's finished rising, bake the wreath for about 30 minutes, or until lightly golden.
Cool on the baking sheet for another 20 minutes before cooling fully on a rack. Saffron bread is eaten fresh, but leftovers will keep in a well sealed container on the counter for up to three days.

Notes

Please note that cup measurements are always approximations when baking, and I highly recommend using the gram measurements for accuracy. That's why a range is provided for the cup measurements for flour - you'll have to go by how the dough feels if using cups.

Storage: this is best fresh, but can be stored in a sealed container at room temperature for up to three days.

Freezing: place the cooled bread in an airtight container and freeze for up to three months. The bread will dry out slightly if frozen.

Nutrition