Ukrainian - Solodkyy Soniashnyk - Sunflower Sweet Bread (Bread Machine)

[Olga Drozd]

UKRAINIAN - SOLODKYY SONIASHNYK (Sunflower Sweet Bread)  BREAD MACHINE:

This delightful sweet bread with its orange flavoured glaze and apricot jam inside the petals is so delicious and tangy. The centre of this pretty coffee cake is filled with the doughnut "holes" and then sprinkled with sunflower seeds.  For the centre of the sunflower I used toasted unsalted sunflower seeds and black sesame seeds. This makes an unusual and attractive centerpiece. With the left over dough I made 6 cinnamon buns.  NOTE:  To space "petals" evenly, imagine the face of a clock, and place petals as 12, 3, 6, and 9 then place remaining petals. In Canada you can use all purpose flour or bread flour - Americans use bread flour. BREAD: 1/2 cup water 1/4 cup fresh orange juice 2 teaspoons orange zest 2 large eggs 1 1/4 teaspoon salt 1/4 cup superfine sugar or granulated sugar 3 Tablespoons butter, chopped into pieces 3 3/4 cups all purpose flour OR Bread flour 1 1/2 teaspoons instant bread machine yeast TOPPING: 1 egg yolk beaten with 1 teaspoon water Apricot jam to fill petals after baking ORANGE GLAZE: 1 cup sifted confectioners' sugar (icing/powdered) 2 Tablespoons fresh orange juice 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Measure ingredients into baking pan in order given.  Insert pan into the oven chamber. Select DOUGH CYCLE.

Remove dough after the dough cycle is finished to a lightly floured surface and lightly knead into a ball.  Cover with a large bowl and let rest for 15 minutes.

Roll out dough into slightly larger than 12 inch circle.  With a well floured 3-inch doughnut cutter, cut into 12 doughnut shapes.  I used a drinking glass and apple corer for the small hole. Remove doughnut and holes so that they don't stick together.

Arrange 3 doughnut holes in the centre of the prepared baking sheet lined with parchment paper and lightly sprayed with baking spray.  Arrange the remaining 9 doughnut holes to form a ring around the center 3, making sure the sides of the doughnut holes touch.

Place the doughnut shapes around the outside and touching the doughnut holes, stretching to form long, narrow sunflower-shaped petals.  Brush the doughnut holes with egg yolk mixture and generously sprinkle with sunflower seeds. Lightly brush the stretched sunflower petals with egg yolk mixture.

Cover and let rise in a warm, draft-free place for 45 to 60 minutes or until doubled in volume.

Meanwhile, preheat oven to 350º F. and place oven rack in the centre of oven.

Bake in preheated oven for 20 to 30 minutes or until golden brown.  Remove from the oven and while still hot, fill the petals with apricot jam.

Glaze: In a bowl, beat together sifted icing sugar, orange juice and vanilla extract until smooth and drizzle over the petals of the warm sunflower. 

NOTE:  If you wish fill the petals with raspberry, currant, cherry, or strawberry jelly.  With the left over dough make cinnamon buns.  Make sure your bread machine can handle over 3 cups flour.

Link to Hand Method>>>>>http://www.ukrainianclassickitchen.ca/index.php?topic=8728.msg9616#msg9616