SWEDISH SAFFRON CHRISTMAS BREAD

Swedes are sentimental people, especially on December 13, when a beautiful blonde girl, dressed in a white robe, presides over the Lucia Day parade looking like a shimmering dream figure. Even the most reserved Swedish hearts melt.

There are many legends about who Lucia was and why she became so important to the Swedes. An old folk tale from Varmland, a province in western Sweden where there was a great famine, tells of a Lucia who suddenly appeared on board a ship and distributed generous amounts of food to the starving people.

Formerly, December 13 (Lusse) was believed to be the longest and darkest night of the year. Lusse marked the beginning of the Christmas season and the rule was that one should eat before dawn or it would be a bad Lusse. Today, it is customary in the Swedish home for the mother to be treated to breakfast in bed with hot coffee and St. Lucia's buns shaped in fancy twists. Swedish teachers, too, receive a similar tray, carried in by the "Lucia" of the classroom.

The golden butter-rich saffron bread has many traditional shapes that show up on coffeetables throughout the holiday season. Perhaps the most attractive is a braided wreath in which candles are sometimes stuck. Crowns, cats, chariots, and hearts are some others. This dough shapes easily because it is refrigerated and is simple to make because it requires no kneading.

* Makes i braided wreath or about 2.4 buns

• 2 packages active dry yeast
• 1\2 cup warm water, 105°F to 115°F
• 1\2 cup sugar
• 1 cup melted butter
• 1 cup light cream
• 1 1\2 to l/2 teaspoon powdered saffron
• 2 eggs, room temperature
• 4 to 4 1\2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
• 1 egg
• 2 tablespoons milk

In a large mixing bowl, dissolve the yeast in the warm water. Add i tablespoon of the sugar and let stand until yeast foams, about 5 minutes. Add the remaining sugar, butter, cream, saffron, and eggs. Beat well. Stir in the flour, i cup at a time, beating well to keep mixture smooth and satiny. All of the flour should be moistened. Cover and refrigerate for 2 to 24 hours. To make buns, shape and bake as for Norwegian Coffee Buns.

To make a braided wreath, cut off 1 of the chilled dough and reserve. Cut remaining dough into 3 parts. On a lightly floured board, roll each of the 3 parts out to make a strand 48 inches long and braid. Cover baking sheet with parchment paper or lightly grease it. Place braid in a wreath shape on the baking sheet; trim off about i inch of each end of the braid and fit cut ends together; pinch to seal. Reserve trimmings. Divide reserved portion of dough into 3 parts. On a lightly floured board, roll into strands 24 inches long. Braid these also. Mix egg and milk together and brush large braid with glaze. Place small braid on top of large braid. Trim ends of small braid and fit together, pinching to seal. On floured board, roll trimmings from dough to about 1-inch thickness. Cut into leaf shapes using a knife or cookie cutter. With knife, score the leaves to decorate. Brush both braids with egg-milk glaze. Roll scraps out to make thin strands and twine the strands along the top of the braids. Decorate with the leaf cutouts. Brush with glaze. Let rise until doubled. Preheat oven to 375°F and bake for 25 to 35 minutes or until golden.

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