Sift the flour into a bowl, forming a well. Make a hollow in the center and add the crumbled yeast, dissolving it with warm milk. Sprinkle with a little flour and let the mixture rest in a warm place for about 15 minutes.

In another bowl, mix the melted and warm butter with the egg, salt, and sugar. Incorporate this mixture into the leavened dough and work until obtaining a homogeneous dough. Cover and let it rise for another 20-25 minutes.

Prepare the filling by working the almond paste with the apricot jam, then add the sultanas and chopped almonds, adding a little egg white if necessary to obtain a soft consistency.

Roll out the leavened dough into a rectangle (30x40 cm) and spread the filling in the center, forming a strip about 8 cm wide.

Cut the long sides of the rectangle into parallel diagonal strips, 2 cm wide. Weave the strips over the filling, alternating the right and left sides, overlapping them to form a braid.

Seal the ends of the strips well to prevent any leaks during baking.

Transfer the braid to a buttered baking sheet and let it rise until doubled in volume.

Brush with beaten egg yolk and bake in a preheated oven at 220°C for 30 minutes.

Apply a thin layer of apricot glaze to the still warm braid, let it dry, then cover with fondant glaze and sprinkle with almond flakes.