Poppy Seed Braid with Flaked Almonds

For the bread, place the flour in a bowl and make a well in the middle. Crumble the yeast and mix with some lukewarm milk, 1 teaspoon of sugar and a little flour. Pour into the well, cover the bowl and leave to rise in a warm place for 15 minutes.

Melt the butter and add to the dough along with the remaining milk, the sugar, the poppy seeds and the eggs and knead vigorously until it bubbles and separates from the edge of the bowl. Leave to rise in a warm for 30-45 minutes until the volume has doubled.

Preheat the oven to 180°(approximately 350ºF) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Knead the dough again and divide into 3 equal pieces. Form 3 rolls of about 60 cm long (approximately 24 inches) and roll them flat slightly.

Pour the jam into a piping bag and pipe a stripe along the center of each roll lengthwise. Roll each strand lengthwise to seal in the jam and press the join together.

Bring the strands together at one end and press together. Braid the strands all the way to the end and press together to seal them.

Place the braid on the baking sheet, cover and leave to rise for another 10 minutes.