Ingredients:  

300ml milk

1 g saffron                                                                                   

50g baker's yeast

150 sugar

125g butter or 125g margarine

700g all-purpose flour

1 egg

salt

raisins

Directions:

Melt butter in a pan and add the milk and the saffron. Warm the mixture to 37C (100 F)

Pour the mixture over the finely divided yeast: then add the remaining ingredients (except for the egg and raisings) which should have a temperature of 21-23C (72-75F)

Mix into a smooth dough. Cover the dough with a kitchen towel, and let it rise for 30 minutes.

Knead the dough, divide it into 25-30 pieces and form each piece into a round bun.

Let the buns rest for a few minutes, covered by the kitchen towel. Form each bun into a string, then arrange the string in a suitable shape, an S or double S. Regardless of the shape, the ends should meet.

Press a few raisins into the dough. Cover the Lucia buns and let them rise for 40 minutes. Whip the egg, and "paint" the Lucia buns with the mixture. Bake them 5-10 minutes in the oven at 250C (475F) until golden brownish yellow.