- 400ml/15fl oz full fat milk
- 675g/1¼lb plain flour
- pinch of salt
- 75g/3oz unsalted butter
- 75g/3oz caster sugar
- 80g/3¼oz sultanas
- 2 sachets of dried yeast
- 5g/¼oz saffron, ground
- 2 medium eggs
- fine zest of ½ lemon
- 50g/2oz nibbed or chopped almonds
- beaten egg yolks to glaze
- cardamom, freshly ground
- icing sugar to dredge
- Bring milk and butter to room temperature.
- Dissolve the yeast in half of the milk with 5g/1 tsp of the weighed sugar, leave in a warm place to foam (should take about 15 minutes).
- Beat in the remaining ingredients except the flour and the almonds.
- Mix in the flour till you have a smooth and elastic dough. Cover well with plastic film and place in fridge overnight.
- Remove from the fridge and divide the dough into three. Knock back, on a lightly floured board, and roll into even lengths, a few feet long.
- Plait the dough and pinch the ends to seal. Form into a ring and place on baking parchment on a tray, cover lightly with plastic film and prove till double in size.
- Brush with the beaten yolk (let down with a little milk), then scatter over the almonds and a good pinch of the ground cardamom.
- Place in the oven which has been preheated to 190C/375F/Gas 5 and bake for about 30 minutes till golden. When the base is tapped and sounds hollow, the loaf is done.
- Remove from the oven and dredge generously with the icing sugar.