Swedish Tea Ring

Soften a cake of compressed yeast in one fourth cup of scalded-and-cooled milk; mix and add to one cup of milk, scalded and cooled to a lukewarm temperature. Stir in enough flour to make a batter; beat until smooth, then cover and set aside to become light. Add one whole egg and a yolk, or three yolks of eggs, one fourth cup of sugar, half a teaspoonful of salt, and flour to make a dough that may be kneaded. Knead until smooth and elastic. Cover and set aside (out of draughts) to become doubled in bulk. Without cutting the dough down, divide into two pieces of same size. Set one of these upside down (crusty side down) on a board, pat and roll into a rectangular sheet less than half an inch thick; brush over with butter, sprinkle with sultana raisins and pecan nuts, or filberts, broken in pieces. Use from a half to a full cup of fruit and nuts; roll up like a jelly roll; lift the roll to a baking pan and bring the ends together to form a ring; fasten the ends secure and in such a careful manner as will conceal the joining. With scissors cut through the ring from the edge nearly to the centre, at each side, entirely round the ring; cut a little on the slant and turn each division with the scissors or fingers, to show the layers of dough and fruit, etc. That is, cut down through the roll with the scissors and with them turn the cut side of the dough upward. When again light brush the dough with beaten yolk of egg, mixed with milk, and dredge with sliced nuts. Bake about half an hour.