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Lucia Brød: Lucia Bread

Legend has it that on 13 December 1764, a gentleman in Sweden was roused in the middle of the night by a beautiful voice. He saw a young woman in white dancing through his room singing. She had wings and was carrying a candle. That was Lucia the Saint. She brought light, food and wine as comfort on what was, in the Gregorian calendar, the longest night of the year. Each 13 December, girls will dress up in long white dresses and walk with lit candles singing the beautiful Lucia carol and bringing the Lucia bread.
From: theguardian.com MAKES ABOUT 22

fresh yeast 40g (or 15g dry yeast)
lukewarm milk 500ml
saffron 5g
butter 200g, melted
plain wheat flour 1kg
caster sugar 100g
raisins 75g
To finish:
raisins
egg 1, beaten

Danes always use fresh yeast, but if you only have dry yeast, use 15g and follow the directions written on the wrapping. Otherwise, dissolve fresh yeast in the warm milk in a mixing bowl, then add the saffron and stir until the mixture turns yellow. Add the melted butter. In a separate mixing bowl, sift together the flour and 1 tsp salt, then stir in the sugar and raisins.

Pour the yeast mixture into the dry ingredients and stir until the dough comes cleanly from the edge of the bowl. Knead the dough on a floured work surface for 10 minutes, until it is shiny but not sticky. Put the dough back in the bowl and leave to rise for 1½ hours at room temperature.

Lightly knead the dough again on a floured work surface. Divide it into 22 equal pieces. Roll them into sausages then curl the ends so that each piece is shaped like the number 8. Put one raisin in the middle of each circle. Place breads on baking trays lined with baking paper, cover with tea towels and leave to rise again for 30 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 180C/gas mark 4. Brush the risen breads with beaten egg and bake for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown all over, then remove from the oven and cool on a wire rack.

You can eat them as they are or spread with cold butter.