Swirled poppy loaf - country living

1 loaf

Ingredients

Quantity Ingredient
2 cups Ground poppy seeds (see Note)
1⅓ cup Skim milk
¼ cup Firmly packed light-brown sugar
1 pack Active dry yeast
¼ cup Warm water (105' to 115'F)
2 tablespoons Granulated sugar
½ cup Skim milk
¼ cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter,
1 large Egg yolk
2 teaspoons Water
¼ cup Finely chopped pitted prunes
¼ cup Finely chopped walnuts
¼ cup Honey
1 tablespoon Ground cinnamon cut into 4 slices
1 large Egg white
3 cups Unsifted all-purpose flour
¼ teaspoon Salt
Confectioners' sugar (opt.)

Directions

FILLING

DOUGH

EGG GLAZE

1. Prepare Filling: In 2-quart saucepan, heat poppy seeds and milk to boiling over medium heat, stirring constantly. Continue to cook, stirring until thick and all milk is absorbed-about 10 minutes.

Remove from heat and stir in brown sugar, prunes, walnuts, honey, and cinnamon. Set aside to cool to room temperature.

2. Meanwhile, prepare Dough: In large bowl, sprinkle yeast over water. Stir in granulated sugar and let mixture stand until foamy-about 5 minutes.

3. In 1-quart saucepan, heat milk just until bubbles appear around side of pan. Remove from heat. Add butter and cool milk mixture to 110' to 115'F.

4. With wooden spoon, beat egg white and milk mixture into yeast mixture. Stir in 2½ to 2 ¾ C flour and the salt until soft, manageable dough forms.

5. Turn dough out onto lightly floured surface. Knead, adding remaining flour as necessary, until dough is smooth and elastic-about 8 to 10 minutes.

6. Wash, dry, and lightly oil mixing bowl. Place dough in oiled bowl, turning to bring oiled side up. Cover with clean cloth; let dough rise in warm place, away from drafts, until double in sizeabout 1 hour,

7. Prepare Egg Glaze: In cup, combine egg yolk and water until well blended.

8. Punch down dough and let rest 5 minutes. On floured sheet of parchment paper or heavy-duty aluminum foil, with floured rolling pin, roll out dough to a 16 by 14-inch rectangle. Brush surface with some glaze. Spread filling evenly over rolled dough, leaving an uncovered ¼ inch border around rectangle.

9. Starting with a 16-inch edge, roll dough up. (Do not press the ends to seal.) Place roll, still on the paper, on baking sheet. If necessary, gently turn the roll so that seam side faces down and place diagonally across baking sheet. Let rise in warm place, away from drafts, 20 minutes.

10. Heat oven to 350'F. Beginning about 3 inches from one end, make 4 diagonal cuts, about 2 ⅓ inches apart and ¼ inch deep, across top of loaf. If desired, with tip of knife, score decorative swirls in a border on top of loaf. Brush loaf with some glaze and bake 30 minutes.

11. Brush loaf again with remaining glaze. Bake 5 minutes more or until loaf sounds hollow when lightly tapped. (During baking, the filling may ooze out and crack the dough along a long side. After cooling, press the crack together to reseal.) Cool loaf on wire rack to room temperature. Transfer to cutting board and sprinkle with confectioners' sugar, if desired.

Note: You can grind whole poppy seeds using a small food processor, grain grinder, or coffee mill.

Country Living/November/1994 Scanned & edited by Di Pahl & <gg> Submitted By LAWRENCE KELLIE On 03-04-95

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