My Christmas Bread Round-Up

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...I am inordinately fond of bread. As telling as this holiday list may be, the number of sweet breads I've chosen not to include is even more enlightening. Worse still, I've been testing new breads and will be adding a few more to the list before the Christmas holiday is here. It's not hard to tell that I've been seduced by those spores that cause flour and water to rise to poetic heights. The first time I read those classic words from The Rubáiyát of Omar Khayyám, my response was "Amen, brother." I was even willing to forgo the jug if it meant I could have butter with my bread. Actually, most of today's featured breads don't need butter, but its availability keeps panic from setting in. To make my Christmas list, a bread had to be delicious, but I also tried to pick ones that had a story to tell or memories that could be shared. I'll let you be the judge of how well I did. Here are my favorite Christmas breads. I hope you'll try them.







Cinnamon Meringue Coffee Ring












Dresdener Stollen












Walnut Coffee Cake












Cougnou (Bread of Jesus)












Panettone












Julekake ( Norwegian Christmas Bread)











Swedish Coffee Ring with Apricots and Almonds












St. Lucia Buns











Cranberry Bread Pudding with Orange Hard Sauce











Schnecken (Snails)

Coffee Twist Three Ways

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...This is a festive bread that lends itself to holiday breakfasts. It's not difficult to make and because of the way it's filled, its flavor is limited only by the imagination of the cook and the staples in the refrigerator and pantry. The base for the coffee cake is a standard sweet bread. The filling is nothing more than a layer of jam topped with a sprinkling of compatible nuts. The bread gets its festive air from the way it's cut and twisted. It's simple from start to finish and if you use a good jam and toast the nuts, you'll have an outstanding breakfast or coffee treat. I must admit that I make and freeze these twists well ahead of time and simply reheat them for early morning festivities. The twist in the photos above is made with seedless blackberry jam and toasted, coarsely chopped, hazelnuts. I have included alternative fillings in the recipe, so you'll have some options should you want them. Here's the recipe.

Coffee Twist - Three Ways...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite

Ingredients:
Dough:
3/4 cup whole milk
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup butter
1/2 teaspoon salt
2-1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast
1/4 cup warm water
3 large eggs, divided use
4-1/4 cups all-purpose flour + additional flour for dusting if required
Filling I:
3/4 cup seedless blackberry jam
3/4 cup coarsely chopped, toasted hazelnuts
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
Filling II:
3/4 cup peach jam
3/4 cup coarsely chopped, toasted almonds
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
Filling III:
3/4 cup seedless raspberry jam
3/4 cup coarsely chopped, toasted walnuts
1 tablespoon granulated sugar

Directions:
1) Heat milk, sugar, butter and salt in a small saucepan set over medium heat until butter melts. Let sit for 30 minutes, or until mixture is at room temperature.
2) Sprinkle yeast over warm water in a large bowl. Stir to dissolve. Add milk mixture, 2 eggs and 1-1/4 cups flour. Beat with an electric mixer on medium speed until smooth, about 3 minutes. Stir in 3 cups flour to form a dough.
3) Turn dough onto a floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic, about 5 minutes, adding flour only to prevent sticking. Place in a large greased bowl and turn to coat all sides of dough. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise until doubled, about 1 hour.
4) Punch dough down. Turn onto a very lightly floured surface; cover and let rest 15 minutes.
5) Coat a 15 x 10-inch baking pan with cooking spray.
6) Roll dough into a 14-inch square. Spread with jam of choice, leaving a 1-inch border on all sides. Top with nuts of choice.
7) Roll dough as for jelly roll, pinching seam to close. Transfer, very carefully, to prepared baking sheet. Reshape as necessary to retain 14-inch shape. Cut roll in half lengthwise. With cut side facing up and starting in the middle, work towards top of dough, crossing strips back and forth keeping cut sides facing up. Pinch ends together and tuck under to seal. Repeat procedure with bottom half of loaf. Cover with plastic wrap and allow to rise in a warm place until doubled in size, about 30 minutes.
8) Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Beat reserved egg with 1 teaspoon water. Brush top of loaf with glaze and sprinkle with 1 tablespoon granulated sugar.
9) Bake for 30 minutes, or until loaf is golden brown and sounds hollow when tapped. Transfer to a wire rack to cool. Yield 1 loaf (about 12 servings).


This recipe is linked to:
Wild Yeast - Yeast Spotting

Bread of the Dead - Pan de Muerto

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...The Day of the Dead, or Dia de Los Muertos, represents the melding of an old Aztec tradition with the religion of the Conquistadors. The celebration is actually a two day feast that coincides with the Catholic observance of All Saint's and All Soul's days. The first day of the celebration occurs on the 1st of November. It's called the Day of the Little Angels and it is set aside to remember children who have died. The second day is set aside to honor adults who have passed to the next life. It is important to understand that these are days of celebration rather than days of mourning. In homes that observe Dia de los Muertos, altars are built containing symbols of the four elements: fire, water, wind and earth. They are beautifully decorated and, because many believe that the deceased visit their homes during this celebration, food is placed on the altar to entice them to stay for the festivities. Feasting is an important part of both days of celebration. Good food, and clean homes are thought to entice the dead. Toy skeletons and skulls are welcome features and "dead" bread may even have a small skeleton, promising good luck, baked inside it. The second day of the celebration is usually spent outdoors with picnics in graveyards. It is a joyous time and seen as an opportunity for families to come together to honor the memories of those who have passed to the next life. It is hoped that the laughter and mention of the deceased will bring their spirits back to earth to visit with the assembled family members. To many, the Day of the Dead is a strange observance, but Mexican tradition views death as an important part of life, a natural consequence of living and one not to be feared. It's their belief that these celebrations connect families to each other and their deceased relatives, a proof, if you will, that the ties of love cannot be broken - even by the grave.

The Aztecs believed that death was a portal to another existence. Oral tradition tells us that the request of the dead before burial is, "Give me bread and sugar to help me on my journey." The bread of the dead, pan de muerto, is made only for the Dia de los Muertos celebration. It is a sweet, egg-rich bread and it can be found throughout Mexico, though its form differs vastly from one region to the next. The bread is supposed to resemble a skull and it is adorned with bones and sometimes tear drops.

I've chosen a very simple recipe for the bread and have opted for bare bones - forgive the pun - adornment. While this recipe appears in many places, I believe that its original source is "Look What We Brought You from Mexico." I actually had trouble with the first loaf I tried to make. I found 3 cups of flour produced a loaf that was heavy enough to be a door stop. The loaf you see in the photo was made with 2-1/2 cups flour. I've changed the flour measurement to reflect a range, but I strongly advise you mix with the lesser amount and use the last 1/2 cup for kneading. Here's the recipe, just in time for Dia de Los Muertos.

Pan de Muerto (Bread of the Dead)...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite

Ingredients:
1/4 cup milk
1/4 cup (half a stick) butter, cut into 8 pieces
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
2-1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast
1/4 cup very warm water
2 eggs, divided use
2-1/2 to 3 cups all-purpose flour, unsifted
1/2 teaspoon anise seed
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 teaspoons sugar

Directions:
1) Bring milk to boil in a small saucepan; remove from heat. Stir in butter, 1/4 cup sugar and salt.
2) In large bowl, mix yeast with warm water until dissolved and let stand 5 minutes. Add the milk mixture.
3) Separate yolk and white of one egg, reserving white for glaze. Add yolk and 1 whole egg to yeast mixture. Stir in flour, blend until a dough ball is formed.
4) Flour a pastry board or work surface. Knead dough until smooth. Return to large bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Let rise in warm place for 90 minutes.
5) Grease a baking sheet. Punch dough down. Knead again on floured surface. Divide it into fourths and set one piece aside. Roll remaining 3 pieces into "ropes."
On greased baking sheet, pinch 3 rope ends together and braid. Finish by pinching ends together on opposite side to form a circle. Use remaining dough to form bones. Place them on the baking sheet.
6) Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Cover bread with plastic wrap and let rise for 30 minutes. Meanwhile, in a bowl, mix anise seed, cinnamon and 2 teaspoons sugar together. In another bowl, beat egg white lightly.
7) Brush top of bread and bones with egg white, sprinkling only the loaf with sugar mixture. Bake at 350 degrees for 35 minutes. Cool. Yield: 1 loaf.

This post is being linked to:

Wild Yeast - Yeast Spotting