Vánočka – Czech Braided Sweet Bread

Step 1

Sift the flour into a large mixing bowl, make a well in the center.

Step 2

Crumble the fresh yeast (or add dried yeast) into the well sprinkle with 1 tsp sugar. Pour over with a little lukewarm milk and carefully mix the liquid center together with a little flour until a mass similar to the semi-liquid batter is created. Dust with some flour and place the bowl with the mixture into the oven which is turned off. Put in the bottom of the oven a small pot with hot water. Close the oven door and let the yeast work for 30 minutes. The activated yeast should be bubbly and frothy after.

Step 3

Pour the rest milk into a bowl, add melted butter and an egg. Whisk together. Add to the flour mixture.

Step 4

Add remaining sugar, lemon zest, vanilla essence, salt. Knead everything together until the result is smooth and slightly sticky. If you use a kitchen mixer, knead the dough for 10 minutes using a paddle attachment. Kneading the dough with your hand, count on 15 minutes to finish.

Step 5

In the end, incorporate drained raisins and chopped almonds into the dough.

Step 6

Let the dough rise for a further 30 minutes in the warm place (ideally again in the steamy warm environment in the oven).

Step 7

Line a baking tray with parchment paper.

Step 8

Divide the risen dough into 2 parts (60 % and 40 %). Cur each part into 3 pieces. Roll out pieces into long strands. Braid strands as if you braided someone’s hair.

Step 9

Place the bigger braid as the base onto a lined baking tray. Flatten the middle a bit with the side of your hand and put there the other (smaller) braid on the top of the upper braid.

Step 10

Stick 3 skewers vertically into the vánočka: one in the middle, the second, and third on the ends. Skewers will help the vánočka to hold a nice shape during the rising and baking.

Step 11

Let the vánočka rise for 1 hour in a warm place (again, the best environment is in the oven with a pot with hot water inside).

Step 12

Make egg wash: whisk an egg with a fork, brush the surface of vánočka. Sprinkle with chopped almonds.

Step 13

Pre-heat oven to 320 °F (160 °C).

Step 14

Bake vánočka for 40-50 minutes. Beware! The vánočka will start to get gold in the middle of baking, cover it with tin foil so it doesn’t burn.

Step 15

Make a skewer test at the end of the baking: Insert a wooden skewer into the center of vánočka, it should come out clean, without any streaks of non-baked dough. This is a sign that the vánočka is finished!

Step 16

Take the vánočka out of the oven, remove the tin foil and skewers.

Step 17

Dust vánočka with powdered sugar.