Handsome Christmas Breads
Handsome Christmas Breads
Fragrant yeast breads filled with fruits and spice are perfect for holiday breakfasts and brunches. Rich sweet doughs are usually the basis for yule-time breads. They're easier to make than plain bread and can be "trimmed" with all kinds of festive goodies.
One recipe of this dough will make three trees or one tree and one handsome wreath.
Christmas Tree Bread
2 packages active dry yeast
1/4 cup warm water
1 cup scalded mlik
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup butter
2 eggs
1 teaspoon cinnamon
4 1/2 cups sifted flour
1 cup dark or golden raisins
1/2 cup diced mixed candied fruits
Melted butter
Sprinkle yeast over warm water, stir until dissolved. Combine lukewarm scalded milk, salt, sugar, butter, eggs, cinnamon, yeast mixture and half the flour. Beat vigorously until smooth and stretchy. Stir in raisins, candied fruit and enough of the remaining flour to make a soft dough. Turn out on floured board and knead until smooth and satiny. Place in well greased bowl and let rise until double in bulk, about 1 1/2 hours.
When double, roll out on lightly floured board and knead down. Let rest 10 minutes. Shape into Christmas breads.
Christmas Tree Bread:
Take about one-third of the above dough and roll to 1/2 inch thickness. Cut 28 rounds using a 1 1/2-inch cutter. Place rounds close together in seven rows on greased baking sheet. Start with one round for the top of tree and end with seven rounds in last row. Shape a rectangle of dough for tree trunk. Brush with melted butter.
Cover with cloth and let rise until double in bulk. Bake at 350 degrees about 25 minutes. Remove from baking sheet and cool on wire rack. Decorate tree with powdered sugar icing, raisins and candied cherries.
Holiday Wreath Loaf: use remaining dough. Shape into a roll. Place in a large well greased tube pan. Brush with melted butter. Cover and let rise until double. Bake at 350 degrees about 50 mintue. Frost and decorate as desired.
Fragrant yeast breads filled with fruits and spice are perfect for holiday breakfasts and brunches. Rich sweet doughs are usually the basis for yule-time breads. They're easier to make than plain bread and can be "trimmed" with all kinds of festive goodies.
One recipe of this dough will make three trees or one tree and one handsome wreath.
Christmas Tree Bread
2 packages active dry yeast
1/4 cup warm water
1 cup scalded mlik
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup butter
2 eggs
1 teaspoon cinnamon
4 1/2 cups sifted flour
1 cup dark or golden raisins
1/2 cup diced mixed candied fruits
Melted butter
Sprinkle yeast over warm water, stir until dissolved. Combine lukewarm scalded milk, salt, sugar, butter, eggs, cinnamon, yeast mixture and half the flour. Beat vigorously until smooth and stretchy. Stir in raisins, candied fruit and enough of the remaining flour to make a soft dough. Turn out on floured board and knead until smooth and satiny. Place in well greased bowl and let rise until double in bulk, about 1 1/2 hours.
When double, roll out on lightly floured board and knead down. Let rest 10 minutes. Shape into Christmas breads.
Christmas Tree Bread:
Take about one-third of the above dough and roll to 1/2 inch thickness. Cut 28 rounds using a 1 1/2-inch cutter. Place rounds close together in seven rows on greased baking sheet. Start with one round for the top of tree and end with seven rounds in last row. Shape a rectangle of dough for tree trunk. Brush with melted butter.
Cover with cloth and let rise until double in bulk. Bake at 350 degrees about 25 minutes. Remove from baking sheet and cool on wire rack. Decorate tree with powdered sugar icing, raisins and candied cherries.
Holiday Wreath Loaf: use remaining dough. Shape into a roll. Place in a large well greased tube pan. Brush with melted butter. Cover and let rise until double. Bake at 350 degrees about 50 mintue. Frost and decorate as desired.
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