BAKING PANS

2 medium (8"-x-4") loaf pans, greased or Teflon

PREPARATION

Prepared Almond paste or if if using a store-bought paste, mash and work it with a fork, adding the egg white and butter. Chill for two hours.

BY HAND OR MIXER

20 mins.

To make the dough, measure 2 cups flour into a bowl and stir in the dry milk, yeast, salt, and sugar. Pour in the hot water and stir vigorously by hand with a wooden spoon or the mixer flat beater until the batter is smooth. Drop in the eggs and butter. Continue to stir until they are absorbed. Measure in the currants.

Add flour, 1/2 cup at a time, blending each addition into the batter, until the dough becomes a rough, shaggy mass that can be lifted from the bowl and placed on the work surface. If using a mixer, continue to work and knead with the dough hook.

KNEADING

8 mins.

If by hand, knead with a strong push-turn-fold motion, adding sprinkles of flour if sticky. Continue kneading for 8 minutes.

If the dough sticks to the sides of the mixer bowl, sprinkle liberally with flour until it cleans the bowl and rotates freely under the dough hook. Knead for 8 minutes.

BY PROCESSOR

5 mins.

Prepare the paste, as above.

Attach the short plastic dough blade (which will not shred the currants).

Measure 2 cups flour into the work bowl and add the dry ingredients. Pulse to blend. Pour in the hot water and pulse several times to form a smooth batter. Drop in the eggs and butter. Leave the processor running until the eggs and butter have been absorbed. Measure in the currants.

Add flour, 1/4 cup at a time, through the feed tube. When the mass begins to form, carefully add small portions of flour. Don't make the dough a hard ball with the flour or it may stall the machine.

KNEADING

45 secs.

When the dough is fully formed and riding the blade around the bowl-and the bowl is cleaned by the spinning dough-leave the machine on for 45 seconds to knead. As the kneading continues, the blade may have a difficult time, and the machine may slow. Stand by to turn it off if this happens, and continue by hand.

Turn the dough from the work bowl. Sprinkle liberally with flour to control the stickiness that is always evident when the dough is first turned from the processor.

FIRST RISING

1 hour

Place the dough in a buttered bowl, cover tightly with plastic wrap, and put aside to double in volume, about 1 hour.

(If prepared with a new fast-rising yeast and at the recommended higher temperatures, reduce the rising times by about half.)

While the dough is rising, divide the chilled almond paste into 2 pieces.

Roll each into a length 1" shorter than the dough when shaped as a loaf-use the pan you plan to bake in as a guide. The dough must overlap to seal the ends. Keep chilled until the dough is ready to shape.

If the commercial almond paste has been prepared (with egg and butter) it may be too soft to fashion into a roll. If so, a spoon can be used to lay it down the center of the loaf oval.

SHAPING

8 mins.

Take the dough from the bowl, divide into 2 pieces, and push and roll each into a flat oval the length of the bread pan.

Lay the roll of almond paste down the center of the oval. Encase it with the dough as one would a hot dog in a bun. Pinch the seam tightly. If necessary, roll under the palms to lengthen and fit the pan. Repeat for the second loaf.

SECOND RISING

45 mins.

Cover the loaves with plastic wrap or brown sack paper and leave to rise at room temperature until puffy and doubled in bulk, about 45 minutes.

PREHEAT

Preheat the oven to 375° about 20 minutes before baking.

BAKING 375°

40 mins.

Place the loaves on the middle shelf of the oven, and bake until a deep brown, about 40 minutes.

(If using a convection oven, reduce heat 50°.)

FINAL STEP

Remove the loaves from the oven and allow to cool before slicing or the almond center may be sticky.