Recipe Index

Ingredients

• 4¾ cups plus 2½ tsp. (1 lb 5 oz) bread flour
• 1 ¼-oz. envelope active dry yeast (about 2¼ tsp.)
• 2 tsp. Diamond Crystal or 1¼ tsp. Morton kosher salt
• 1½ tsp. ground cinnamon
• ⅛ tsp. ground nutmeg
• 1 cup whole milk
• 4 Tbsp. unsalted butter, cut into pieces
• ¼ cup honey
• 1 large egg, beaten to blend
• Vegetable oil (for bowl)
• Bread flour (for surface)
• ½ cup granulated sugar
• ½ cup (packed; 3.5 oz) light brown sugar
• 1½ tsp. ground cinnamon
• 9 Tbsp. unsalted butter, room temperature, divided
• 3½ cups (13.6 oz; or more) powdered sugar, sifted
• ¼ cup (or more) whole milk, room temperature
• 1½ Tbsp. unsalted butter, melted
• 1 Tbsp. plus 1½ tsp. corn syrup (optional)
• ½ tsp. Diamond Crystal or ¼ tsp. Morton kosher salt
• ½ tsp. vanilla extract
• ¼ tsp. almond extract (optional)
• Purple, green, and yellow or gold sanding sugar (for decorating)

Method

1. Whisk the bread flour, yeast, kosher salt, cinnamon and nutmeg together in a large bowl and set the dry mixture aside.
2. Heat the milk with the 4 tablespoons of butter in a small saucepan over medium-low heat for about 3 minutes, stirring, until the butter just melts and the milk is hot to the touch but not boiling.
3. Pour the warm milk into a stand mixer bowl with the honey and 1/2 cup of lukewarm water, mix, and let the liquid cool until it registers 100 to 110°F.
4. Beat the egg into the milk mixture, add the reserved dry ingredients, and mix on low for about a minute until a dough forms.
5. Raise the mixer speed to medium and knead the dough for 10 to 13 minutes until it turns smooth, elastic and stretchy enough to see light through without tearing.
6. Transfer the sticky dough to a lightly oiled bowl, cover it with a towel, and let it rise in a warm, draft-free spot for 1 to 2 hours until doubled.
7. Roll the risen dough on a lightly floured surface into a rectangle of about 24 by 16 inches and 1/4 to 1/8 inch thick, resting it for 5 minutes if it springs back when poked.
8. Whisk the granulated sugar, light brown sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl, then work in 7 tablespoons of the room-temperature butter until a thick filling paste forms.
9. Spread the filling over the dough, leaving a 1-inch border, and roll the sheet up tightly from a long side into a log, pinching the seam shut.
10. Flatten the log with a rolling pin to about 1/2 inch thick, move it to a cutting board, and slice it lengthwise into three strips with a pizza cutter or knife.
11. Lay the strips on a parchment-lined baking sheet, braid them from the top, join the ends into a ring, pinch the join closed, cover the ring, and let it rise again for 1 to 2 hours until doubled.
12. Heat the oven to 350°F and melt the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter.
13. Brush the melted butter over the uncovered ring and bake the cake for 40 to 45 minutes until golden brown and reading 210°F in the centre, then let it cool.
14. Whisk the powdered sugar, milk, melted butter, corn syrup, salt, vanilla extract and almond extract into a glaze with the consistency of brownie batter, thinning it with more milk or thickening it with more sugar as needed.
15. Spoon the glaze over the cooled cake and sprinkle the purple, green and yellow or gold sanding sugars over it in alternating sections, two of each colour.

Cook: 1 hour 30 minutes · Total: 6 hours 30 minutes

Nutrition (per serving, where published)

Estimated from USDA FoodData Central ingredient data