• Place the yeast in a small bowl and add the hot water, stir to dissolve and let set.
• Scald the milk then pour into the bowl of a stand mixer, then add the butter, sugar, and salt and stir to combine.   Let cool.

  You can scald the milk in a saucepan on the stove, simply heat the milk over medium heat, just to the point it starts boiling, and you will notice small bubbles appearing around the edge of the saucepan.

  The microwave method - measure the milk into a glass measuring cup, use 70% power and heat it at 15-second intervals about 3 times. Scaled milk should be 185 degrees F.
• Beat the egg, then add to the milk mixture along with the yeast. Stir to combine.
• Using a dough hook, gradually start adding in the flour one cup at a time, until you have a stiff dough.  You may need to add more flour to get the right consistency of dough.
• On a floured board knead the dough for 5 minutes until smooth and elastic.
• Place dough in an oiled bowl and cover the bowl with plastic wrap and a towel. Let the dough rise for 1 to 1 ½ hours. You can also let this dough rise overnight in the refrigerator.

Butter Nutmeg Filling

• In a small bowl add the softened butter, powdered sugar, milk, nutmeg, and vanilla extract then mix until smooth and creamy.

Putting it all together

• Punch down the dough ball then place it on a floured surface and roll into a 15" x 12" rectangle. Spread the filling over the dough. Cut the rectangle into three strips 5" x 12" and then sprinkle pecans over each strip.
• Gently roll each dough strip lengthwise and place them side-by-side and braid them together. Turn the ends of the braided dough under the braid. Transfer the dough to a greased bread pan and cover with a towel. Set the pan in a warm-draft-free space and let rise for 1 hour.
• When ready to bake preheat your oven to 350 ° F and bake for 50-60 minutes.  The internal temperature should be 200 degrees.

  When done, let cool in the pan for 10 minutes then remove and finish cooling on a wire rack.

Storage

• This bread will keep for about two days. Place the bread in an airtight container or a plastic food storage bag.
• You can freeze this bread. Wrap the uncut loaf in plastic wrap, then wrap tightly in foil. Freeze for up to 3 months. When ready to eat let the bread thaw on the counter.