I adore Saffron, there’s something just so luxurious and heady about using this spice, the delicate little scarlet tendrils emitting a lovely honeyed distinct flavour. As soon as I saw this recipe in Dan Lepard’s “The Handmade Loaf”, a gorgeous book that will inspire any wannabe baker, I knew I had to make it. Or at least my version of it. He is a baker so he gives complex instructions on how to do it right from the very beginning but some are time consuming. So I’ve kept the essence of the loaf while tinkering with the method.
His recipe specifies 100g of currants, I used sultanas but found that 100g was way too much for the size of the loaf and that after mixing and rising, most of the sultanas were on the outside and therefore burned in the oven. Some were easy to pick off and perhaps it’s the difference in method. Nevertheless I was annoyed, mostly at myself, when I took it out of the oven to see all of the sultanas burnt on the top and the loaf resembling a dark bronze rather than a light gold pictured.
But once I sliced a piece of this spongy delicious bread and slathered it with butter and my last jar of Spiced Grape Jam, I realised that all was not lost, the bread was so gorgeously soft and soaked up the liquidey jam and went so well with the mixed spice so well that I would even suggest adding a teaspoon of mixed spice into the recipe if you wish. I’m still not quite sure why the sultanas all remained on the outside, with very few on the inside. But this gorgeous spongey bread is ideal for breakfast, to soak up a honey or liquidey jam. Be warned, it’s not one of those loaves that will keep well for several days, after all it has no preservatives, but even after the first day the texture changes but toasting it will help in this respect.
Sweet Saffron Bread
Ingredients
- Pinch of saffron threads
- ¾ tsp boiling water
- 350g strong white flour
- 1 tablespoon instant dried yeast
- 60g caster sugar
- ½ tsp fine sea salt
- 30g unsalted butter, softened and broken into small pieces
- 150ml milk, warm
- 50g currants
- cornmeal, for dusting
- 1 free-range egg, beaten with 2 tablespoons of milk
Method
1. Pour boiling water over saffron thread and leave to infuse for 10 minutes
2. Place flour, sugar, yeast, sugar, salt into a large bowl and mix together well. Add the butter and rub through the flour until it has completely combined with the dry ingredients to leave no lumps. Fit Dough Hook onto mixer.
3. Measure the milk into a jug and mix in the saffron infused water. Add the saffron milk to the flour mixture and set the mixer on low speed for 5 minutes. Add currants or sultanas.
OR if you don’t have a dough hook fitted mixer do steps 4 and 5
4. Grease a flat clean work surface and knead the dough for ten seconds to finish with the dough in a smooth ball. Clean and dry the bowl and replace the dough ball into the bowl to rest for ten minutes.
5. Remove the dough and knead again on a greased, flat surface.
6. Shape the dough into a ball. Replace into an oiled bowl, cover with a teatowel and leave for one hour in a warm (not hot) place.
7. Place the dough onto a clean, flat surface and shape into a baton. Cover with a clean cloth and leave for ten minutes.
8. Spiral each end in upon itself to create an elaborate ‘S’ shape.
9. Sprinkle a large baking sheet with cornmeal and place the dough into the centre of the sheet. Cover with a clean cloth and leave for one hour, until the dough has almost doubled in height.
10. Preheat the oven to 210C/410F/Gas 6½. Uncover the loaf and brush with eggwash. Place into the centre of the oven to bake for 25 minutes, then reduce the heat to 190C/375F/Gas 5 and bake for a further 5-10 minutes, until the loaf is golden-brown in colour and sounds hollow when tapped on the under-side.
Adapted from The Handmade Loaf by Dan Lepard
This is also my entry for Zorra’s World Bread Day event (thanks Y!). Bake a bread by October 16 and be part of it 
12. Remove from the oven and leave to cool on a wire rack. Serve sliced and buttered with a delicious jam.
Adapted from The Handmade Loaf by Dan Lepard
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23 Comments | Add your own
Yum, as usual…I’m trying not to eat too much bread after two weeks of La Tartine Fruit bread all to myself…
That bread looks fantastic! I have been eyeing that particular recipe myself, but didn’t have time to give it ago. You should submit that lovely loaf to Zorra’s World Bread Day (http://kochtopf.twoday.net/stories/5175999/) .. I’m hoping to participate myself, but time is running out and I don’t like my chances of making the deadline!
So would you suggest perhaps removing the sultanas from the recipe altogether?
mmmm… I can smell now… Doesn’t look like too much hard work either. Thank you!
wow this looks gorgeous. I love sweet bread. Never tried it with safron or mixed spice though I bet its delicious.
Hi Reemski-I go through bread stages too! Most of the time I leave it alone but if it’s good, don’t stand in my way!
Hi Y-Oooh thanks for letting me know about that! Hopefully I’ll qualify for it as I’ve published it before the official day!
Hi SydneyGal-Hmm well yes unless somehow you find a way to keep them more on the inside of the bread. Mine seemed to gravitate towards the outside of the bread-odd!
Hi Maria-Thankyou! Definitely give it a go, it’s lovely
Hi snookydoodle-The saffron is a really nice addition and if you get a nice spicy jam then it’s really gorgeous.
I like the deep rich brown colour of your bread
and I love spongey soft doughy bread ^^!
I was wondering how you’d gotten such beautiful shape, darling! And look at the color of that loaf! Gorgeous!
looks like a slammin’ slab o’ bread. i often wonder what saffron tastes like. perhaps one day i’ll know.
Hi FFichiban-Thankyou!
Me too, the spongier the better!
Hi Patricia-Thanks so much-it was actually supposed to be an S shape but I was too distracted by the sultanas popping up on the outside to shape it properly
Hi grace-It’s lovely, like a honey but not quite. Definitely an ingredient to try
The bread looks great, Lorraine! I do love saffron bread
Did you use a dough hook to incorporate the sultanas? I find that it isn’t very good at getting them all the way through the dough, tending to leave them stuck to the outside for the most part…
Hand-kneading them in a handful at a time is the best way to keep them on the inside, but you’ll always get a few charred ones, alas.
Hi Angela- Thankyou so much!
Yes I use a dough hook-hmmm that may be why. Thanks for letting me know! I’ll certainly try hand kneading them in next time, thanks for the help
Hi! I love this book, it’s so beautifully photographed, but I agree the recipes are a tad complicated sometimes. I remember making this bread too when I first got it. It was delicious. Too bad about the sultanas, I don’t like mine burnt either.
Also wanted to say I dine out vicariously through your restaurant posts
A masterpiece! I always add nuts, currants etc. at the beginning of kneading, this way they are all over the dough.
Thx for your participation in WBD’08.
Hi Julie-It is gorgeously photographed, and I read he did all the photography himself! I saw his 2 pages on how to make the leaven I got a bit apprehensive!
Thankyou so much, I’m so glad to hear that
Hi zorra-Thankyou and thankyou for hosting the event! I can’t wait to see what the round up ends up like
I am *obsessed* with saffron, and this bread looks like one of the most delicious confections I’ve seen in my entire life. I have to make it!!
Hi Dana-Me too, I brighten up whenever I see it in a dish or recipe! it gives such a gorgeous colour and flavour
First time I’ve heard of ‘Sweet Saffron Bread’. It looks especially nice with that drippingly sweet condiment you’ve photographed on top! What would you say about spreading some fruit cream cheese on top like a chunky, but smooth apricot cream cheese?
Hi Maria-That jam was heaven on it. I used up the rest of my jam on that bread spreading it so thickly and dipping it in the jar
I’ve never tried fruit cream cheese so I don’t really know what it would taste like with it, but I can’t see why not?
I’ve been eyeing this recipe for a long time, too..;-)
I’m not a raisin lover so I would just leave them out; however, I’ve read that soaking the raisins in liquid (e.g. rum or hot water) until plumped will prevent the top ones from getting burnt.
And now I’ve made up my mind to finally bake it the next weekend!
Hi Eva-Ahh cool, thanks for the tip! I’ll try that next time for sure
Hi eva, this recipe looked so good I had to bake it for the afterparty! Thanks for the recipe.
( http://notitievanlien.blogspot.com/2008/11/world-bread-day-afterparty.html )
Hi Lien-It’s not Eva, it’s Lorraine
Glad you liked it!
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