Lemon Spice Bread

To make dough: Stir together 1 cup flour, 1/2 cup sugar, lemon zest, yeast, salt and 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg in a mixing bowl. Combine milk and oil in a small saucepan and stir over low heat until very warm, between 105 degrees F and 115 degrees F on an instant-read thermometer. Stir the milk mixture into the dry ingredients. Lightly whisk eggs in a small bowl; stir into the flour mixture. Stir in raisins and pecans. Gradually add enough of the remaining flour to make a soft dough.

Turn the dough out onto a floured surface. Knead, incorporating more flour as needed, until the dough is resilient but still sticky, about 5 minutes. Form the dough into a ball, cover with plastic wrap and let rest for 10 minutes.

Coat a baking sheet with cooking spray. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface and divide it in 3 equal pieces. Roll each piece into a 12-inch-long rope. Loosely braid the ropes, pinching the ends together firmly. Transfer the braid to the prepared baking sheet and cover loosely with plastic wrap. Let rise in a warm place until the dough feels relaxed and puffy, about 2 hours. (The bread will not be completely doubled in size, but will expand considerably during baking.)

To make topping & bake bread: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly whisk egg white in a small bowl. Combine 2 tablespoons sugar and 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg in another small bowl. Brush the top of the risen bread generously with the egg white, then sprinkle with the sugar mixture. Bake until the bread is well-browned and a skewer inserted in the center comes out clean, 35 to 45 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool.