St. Lucia Buns

7 tablespoons melted butter
1-1/4 cup milk
saffron threads, about 0.5 grams
3 6-ounce cakes fresh yeast
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 egg, beaten
3-1/4 cups all-purpose flour
plus additional flour for kneading

glaze
1 egg
3 tablespoons milk


Melt butter in a pan and add milk and saffron. Warm the mixture to 37C (100F). Crumble the yeast and pour the warm milk mixture over the top. Add sugar, salt, egg and flour. Mix until dough is smooth. Cover dough and let it rise 30 minutes. Knead dough and divide into 25-30 pieces. Form each piece into a round bun. Let the buns rest for a few minutes-covered. Roll each bun into a rope and shape them as desired - an "S" or a double "S". The ends of the dough should meet. Press some raisins into the dough. Cover the "Lucia cats" with a piece of cloth and let rise 40 minutes. Preheat oven to 475F. Mix egg and milk together and brush the tops of the buns. Bake 5-10 minutes or until golden brownish yellow.