Steps
- Warm ¾ cup of whole milk, ½ cup of unsalted butter, half of ½ cup of sugar, and 1¼ teaspoons of salt in a saucepan until dissolved. Cool until lukewarm.
- Mix ⅓ cup of water at 110°F / 43°C with 7g of active dry yeast. Leave for 5-10 minutes, until foamy.
- Set aside 5 cups of all-purpose flour and beat 4 eggs. Mix four-fifths of the flour with the milk mixture, yeast mixture, and three-quarters of the eggs.
- Knead in the remaining flour until smooth and elastic, adding a little more flour if sticky. Cover in an oiled bowl and let rise for 1-1½ hours, until doubled.
- Deflate and halve the dough. Roll one half to fit a greased 11 × 17in / 28 × 43cm baking pan. Mix 1½ cups of pineapple preserves with 2 teaspoons of ground cinnamon; spread over, leaving a 1in / 2.5cm border.
- Reserve a quarter of the second dough half. Roll the rest to cover the filling, trim, and seal the edges with a fork. Roll the reserved dough and trimmings ¼in / 5mm thick; cut into ¼in / 5mm strips.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F / 175°C. Mix the remaining egg with 2 tablespoons of whole milk. Brush the top, arrange strips in a criss-cross pattern, and brush again, then sprinkle with the remaining sugar.
- Let rise for 30 minutes. Prick all over with a toothpick and bake for 30-40 minutes, until golden brown. Cool and cut into rectangles.