Christmas Bread
Bake soft, buttery Christmas Bread with citrus and warm spice. This easy holiday loaf is filled with fruit and topped with a glossy vanilla glaze.
Ingredients
For the dough
- 1 cup Warm whole milk About 240 milliliters, 110 to 115 degrees F
- 2.25 teaspoons Active dry yeast or instant yeast One packet, Red Star or SAF
- 6 tablespoons Granulated sugar Domino
- 2 large Eggs Room temperature
- 6 tablespoons Unsalted butter Softened, Land O Lakes or Plugra
- 2 teaspoons Finely grated orange zest
- 2 teaspoons Pure vanilla extract Nielsen Massey
- 1 teaspoon Ground cinnamon
- 0.5 teaspoon Ground cardamom Optional but wonderful
- 1 teaspoon Fine sea salt
- 4 to 4.5 cups Bread flour Start with 4 cups, King Arthur, about 500 to 560 grams
For the fruit and nut mix
- 0.5 cup Golden raisins
- 0.5 cup Dried cranberries
- 0.33 cup Chopped candied orange peel Or use extra zest
- 0.33 cup Sliced almonds Lightly toasted
For the glaze and finish
- 1 cup Powdered sugar
- 2 to 3 tablespoons Milk
- 0.5 teaspoon Vanilla extract
Instructions
Preparation
- Proof the yeast by warming the milk until it feels like a hot bath. Stir in yeast and a pinch of sugar. Let stand until creamy and lightly foamy, about 5 to 10 minutes.
- In a large bowl, whisk together sugar, eggs, softened butter, orange zest, vanilla, cinnamon, cardamom, and salt until smooth.
- Pour the foamy yeast milk into the bowl and add 3.5 cups of bread flour. Stir until a shaggy dough forms, adding more flour as needed.
- Turn the dough onto a lightly floured counter and knead for 8 to 10 minutes until smooth and elastic.
- Place the dough in a greased bowl, cover with a towel, and let rise in a warm spot until doubled, about 60 to 90 minutes.
- While the dough rises, soak raisins and cranberries in hot water for 5 minutes to plump, then drain and dry, tossing with a tablespoon of flour to prevent sinking.
- Gently deflate the risen dough and knead in fruit, candied peel, and almonds until evenly distributed.
- Shape the dough into a braid or round. Cover and let rise again until puffy, about 30 to 45 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Brush the surface with an egg wash and sprinkle with coarse sugar or sliced almonds.
- Bake for 30 to 40 minutes until deep golden, tenting with foil if browning too quickly.
- Cool on a rack for 20 minutes. Whisk together powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla for the glaze and drizzle over the warm loaf.
- Let the glaze set for 15 minutes before slicing and serving.
Notes
This festive loaf freezes well. Serve warm slices with butter or cool and dust with powdered sugar. For longer storage, wrap and freeze. Reheat before serving.