My Culinary Trial Room

I should have been born in Paris or somewhere in Italy cos I love pasta and breads and petit fours and gelato. I could eat bread and sandwiches 24/7 and never crave Indian food. I could bake breads all day long and never go weak on the knees. I could smell the aroma of freshly baked bread for all eternity and still want to bake more. That is how much I love the art of baking. There is something about baking that calms your nerves. That contentment you get when you see the loaf rise as you peep through the oven door is boundless.

It was the same feeling with this bread too. Me and the huss love the Almond ring danish from Trader Joe's. The mild almond flavor that runs through every bite is heaven in a plate. Well I am not a danish specialist and that much butter usually intimidates me. So I thought of incorporating just the flavor in our daily bread. The almond flavor is just right and you get it in every bite. Its not as rich as the store bought one but its something for nothing.

~*What U Need*~
Whole milk - 6 tbsp, warm
Instant yeast - 3/4 tsp
Water - 1/4 cup
Sugar - 1/2 tbsp
Egg - 1/2 of an egg
Salt - 3/4 tsp
Unbleached all purpose flour - 2 cups
Melted butter - 2 tbsp

For the filling
Almonds - 1/4 cup
Egg - remaining half
Almond extract - 1/8 - 1/4 tsp
Sugar - 4 tbsp

Butter - 2 tbsp

How I Made it:
Warm milk and water to 115F. Remove from heat and add the yeast and sugar. Mix and set aside for 10 mins. The mixture should have frothed. Take the flour in the bowl of your electric mixer and add the yeast water. egg and salt. Mix till everything is moistened, add the butter and knead with the dough hook for 5-8 mins. The dough should be smooth, but tacky. Oil the mixer bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and let the dough rise in the bowl for 1 hour.

Mix the filling ingredients and set aside. Once the dough has doubled in size, take it on a floured work surface. Roll the dough out into a large rectangle.

Gently spread a thin layer of the filling over the dough, grate butter on top leaving the dough bare around the edges. Now starting on one of the long edges, roll the dough into a long cylinder. Use a large knife to cut the dough down the middle, length wise, and open it up to expose the layers inside. Then alternate crossing the pieces over each other to create a braid. Shape into a ring and move on to a parchment paper. Preheat the oven to 350 F and allow the bread wreath to rise for 45 minutes. Bake for 22-30 minutes, until brown and crispy on top. Cool completely.