Sally Lunn French Toast

Ingredients

• 1 package active yeast dry
• 0.3 cup apple cider 
• 0.3 cup firmly brown sugar packed
• 0.5 cup butter 
• 0.3 cup cherries dried
• 3 large eggs lightly beaten
• 4.8 cups flour all-purpose
• 8 servings warm winter fruits 
• 8 servings cinnamon-maple syrup 
• 1 cup milk 
• 1 medium cranberry-orange relish 
• 8 servings honey-pecan butter 
• 1 pinch saffron threads 
• 1 tablespoon salt 
• 8 servings toast custard french
• 0.3 cup warm water (105° to 115°)

Equipment

• bowl
• frying pan
• sauce pan
• oven
• knife
• mixing bowl
• wire rack
• hand mixer
• measuring cup
• peeler

Directions

1. Combine cherries, apple cider, and bourbon; let stand 30 minutes.
2. Working over a small bowl to catch juice, remove rind from orange, using a sharp paring knife or vegetable peeler.
3. Cut pith away from rind. Finely chop rind. Squeeze juice from orange.
4. Combine juice, chopped rind, 1 cup milk, 1/2 cup butter, and saffron in a saucepan; heat until butter melts, stirring occasionally. Cool to 120 to 13
5. Combine yeast and warm water in a 1-cup liquid measuring cup; let stand 5 minutes.
6. Combine flour, salt, and brown sugar in a large mixing bowl.
7. Combine milk mixture, yeast mixture, and 3 eggs; stir well. Gradually add liquid mixture to flour mixture, beating at high speed of an electric mixer. Beat 2 additional minutes at medium speed. Stir in cherries and liquid.
8. Cover and let rise in a warm place (85), free from drafts, 45 minutes or until doubled in bulk. Stir batter well.
9. Spoon batter into a well-greased 9" x 5" x 3" loafpan. Cover and let rise in a warm place, free from drafts, 30 minutes or until almost doubled in bulk.
10. Bake at 400 for 15 minutes. Reduce heat to 350, and bake 20 additional minutes. Cool in pan 10 minutes.
11. Remove bread from pan, and cool completely on a wire rack.
12. Cut loaf crosswise into 8 slices.
13. Cut each slice in half diagonally. Dip each bread slice into French Toast Custard, coating well.
14. Arrange 8 half-slices of bread on a preheated greased griddle, and cook 3 minutes on each side or until browned. Repeat procedure with remaining bread slices, regreasing griddle, if needed.
15. Cut a slit in top of each piece of French toast within 1/2" of edge. Stuff each pocket with 2 tablespoons Warm Winter Fruits.
16. Serve French toast with Honey-Pecan Butter, Cinnamon-Maple Syrup, and additional Warm Winter Fruits mixture.