Swedish Tea Ring with Pecans

These are made like cinnamon rolls; however, you make a circle with the dough log and cut only part way through, turning each piece partially on its side to make a beautiful design.

Step: 1

In a small bowl, dissolve yeast in the warm water and let stand until creamy, about 15 minutes. Zest and juice the lemon; set juice aside for later use.

Step: 2

In a large mixing bowl, combine the yeast mixture, milk, butter, salt, sugar, eggs, lemon zest, and 2 cups of the flour. Stir until smooth and well combined. Mix in the remaining flour, 1/2 cup at a time, stirring well after each addition. When the dough has come together, turn it out onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth and satiny; about 8 minutes. Lightly oil a large bowl, place the dough in the bowl and turn to coat with oil. Cover with a damp cloth and let rise in a warm place until doubled in volume; about 1 hour.

Step: 3

Punch down the dough and turn out onto a lightly floured surface. Roll the dough out into a rectangle approximately 12x24 inches.

Step: 4

In a small bowl, mix together the cinnamon, 1/4 cup sugar and pecans; spread this mixture evenly across the dough. Roll the dough into a long roll and press the seam closed. With the seam turned downward, seal the two ends together to make a ring. Use a little water to help you seal the ends.

Step: 5

Place the ring on a lightly greased cookie pan. Using a sharp knife or kitchen shears, make cuts every inch or so along the ring, cutting only three quarters of the way through. Twist each piece slightly so that the rolls fan out from the center of the ring. Cover the roll with greased plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place until nearly doubled in volume, about 1 hour.

Step: 6

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).

Step: 7

Bake until golden brown, 25 to 30 minutes. Remove the ring from the oven, place on a rack to cool.

Step: 8

Place the lemon juice in a small bowl along with the vanilla. Add 1/4 cup of powdered sugar and stir until the sugar is dissolved. Continue adding powdered sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, until the mixture is fairly thick but still pourable. Drizzle the lemon-sugar topping over the ring.

Per Serving: 324 calories; protein 6.3g; carbohydrates 49.6g; fat 11.8g; cholesterol 26.1mg; sodium 254.3mg.

The quality of the flour could make a real difference to your bread. Different makers do vary. Great taste or Canadian flours, which are bet higher in gluten, may give you a better rise than standard bread flours – especially if you’re making wholemeal dough , which not always rise as well as clear bread.

To made this in a dough , add all the menus to your breadmaker and follow the makers instructions.

A dough’s first rising can be done in the fridge 24 hours . This slows down the time it takes to rise to double its size, giving it a deeper flavour. It’s also a great timesaver , as you can work it yesterday , then clear it off the next day.