christmas bread

Nothing beats a warm, sticky Chelsea bun fresh from the oven. These are drizzled with icing for an extra naughty treat. 

Paul Hollywood's Chelsea buns

salt

sachet fast-acting yeast

300 milliliters/10fl oz milk

grams/1½oz unsalted butter,

free-range egg

vegetable oil, for greasing

unsalted butter, melted

orange, zest only, grated

75 grams/2½oz soft brown sugar

cinnamon

grams/3½oz cranberries

grams/3½oz sultanas

100 grams/3½oz dried apricots, chopped

apricot jam

200 grams/7 ounces icing sugar, sifted

This is a ‘quick’ panettone recipe which delivers on flavour and texture. It’s my go-to for a last-minute Christmas cake!

For this recipe you will need a 18cm/7in deep cake tin.


Easy Panettone

150 milliliters/5fl oz milk, warmed

tsp fast-action dried yeast

100 grams/3½oz golden caster sugar

eggs,

butter, melted

tbsp Marsala wine

tsp vanilla extract

grams/5½oz raisins

tbsp orange juice

75 grams/2½oz candied peel

oil,

egg,

tbsp flaked almonds

icing sugar,

Easy panettone

Soft and fluffy Pull Apart Christmas Bread with a sweet and sticky brown sugar cinnamon roll centre! An amazing dessert for your holiday celebrations!

Star Christmas Bread

ml milk ((plus 50 milliliters extra only if needed))

oz (30 g) butter ((1 1/2 tablespoons))

oz (7 g) instant yeast ((1 envelope

vanilla extract

oz (450 g) bread flour, ((plain

2.5 oz (70 g) white granulated sugar

unsalted butter

light brown sugar, (lightly packed)

Heat 200ml of milk and butter together in a microwave or saucepan until temperature reaches&nbsp;110°F or 45°C (warm to the&nbsp;touch). Add the yeast&nbsp;and let&nbsp;stand for 10 minutes, until frothy on top.

While yeast is activating, combine flour, sugar and salt in a separate bowl.

Create a well in the centre of the flour. Add the yeast mixture, egg yolks and vanilla into the well. Mix into the flour until combined.

Knead by hand for 10-12 minutes&nbsp;until dough is soft and elastic. If the dough is too dry: warm up the extra milk, create a well in the dough and add in half of the milk. Knead and if you still feel it's still too dry, add in the remaining amount of milk.FOR A STAND MIXER: Mix for 5 minutes on medium speed until dough is soft and elastic.

BREAD:

Lightly oil a large bowl with a pastry brush or your fingertips. Place dough into bowl, turning once to coat in the oil. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and set in a warm place for about 2-3 hours, or until doubled in size.(To check if dough is ready, gently press two fingers into dough. If an indentation remains, dough has not risen enough.)&nbsp;

Punch dough down, cover and let rest for an additional 30 minutes or until doubled in size.

While dough is rising, line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Set aside.

RISE:

Get your butter ready, make sure it is softened and spreadable. Then, in a small bowl, mix together brown sugar and cinnamon. Set aside.

PREPARE FILLING:

When dough is ready, divide the dough into 4 pieces. Lightly flour a clean work surface and use a rolling pin to roll one ball out into a 12 inch/30 cm disc.&nbsp;

Place a plate on top and cut away any excess dough around the plate with a sharp knife. Remove the plate. Place dough disc onto prepared baking sheet.

DIVIDE INTO STRANDS:

Spread dough with 1/3 of the softened butter and 1/3 of the brown sugar/cinnamon mixture. This is your bottom layer (the base).

Roll out the second ball of dough, like above, and place on top of the bottom layer. Spread with&nbsp;1/3 of the butter and brown sugar/cinnamon mixture.Repeat with the rest of the dough, layering each with butter/sugar/cinnamon. (The top dough will not have any butter or brown sugar/cinnamon on it.)

LAYER:

Place  a small cup in the middle of the layered dough and very lightly mark a ring in the centre to use as a guide.&nbsp;

Cut the dough first with four lines: 3 o’clock, 6o’clock, 9o’clock and 12 o’clock. Cut each quarter into 2 pieces, then cut each of those into 2 pieces so you end up with 16 strands connected to the middle circle.

Take 2 strands that are side-by-side and twist them away from each other two times. Connect the two strands at the end, pinching the ends together to form a point. Do this with all of the strands and create a star flower!

Cover star bread loosely with a damp cloth or towel and let rest one more time for 30 minutes.

SHAPE INTO A FLOWER/STAR:

Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Beat egg whites leftover from the yolk and brush whites evenly over the surface of the bread.&nbsp;

Bake bread for 20 minutes or until lightly browned and golden.

Decorate with powdered sugar (confectioners sugar or icing sugar), and a little ground cinnamon.Serve warm!

BAKE:

Swirls of chocolate run through spiced dough – a great alternative to cake with a cuppa.

For this recipe you will need a 900g/2lb loaf tin.

Chocolate, cardamom and hazelnut babka

120 milliliters/3¾fl oz full-fat milk

grams/1¾oz caster sugar

1½ tsp fast-action yeast

tsp ground green cardamom seeds

softened,

dark chocolate, chopped into small pieces

grams/½oz white chocolate, chopped into small pieces

grams/1 ounces hazelnuts, chopped into small pieces

130 grams/4⅔oz caster sugar

A recipe for Panettone, Italian Christmas bread, with a brioche-like dough infused with a vanilla bean and studded with rum-soaked raisins and candied orange peel.

Panettone [Italian Christmas Bread]

raisins

light rum

water

all-purpose flour

sugar

dry yeast

lemon zest

vanilla bean (split in half lengthwise)

eggs (at room temperature)

honey

unsalted butter (well softened)

unsalted butter (melted)

unsalted butter (chilled)

Panettone molds

12- inch metal skewers

In a small bowl, combine the raisins with the rum and 2 tablespoons of hot water. Allow to soak at room temperature, stirring occasionally, until the raisins are plump and most of the liquid has been absorbed, at least 8 hours or overnight.

In a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, mix together the flour, sugar, yeast, salt, lemon zest and vanilla bean on low speed until combined. In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs, tepid water and honey. With the mixer on low speed, pour the egg mixture into the flour mixture. Increase the speed to medium-low and mix until all of the ingredients are combined. Add the softened butter, 1 tablespoon at a time, mixing until incorporated before adding more. Increase the speed to medium-high and beat until the dough is smooth and elastic, about 8 minutes.

Drain the raisins, discard the soaking liquid, and stir together with the candied citron and 1 tablespoon of melted butter. Stir this mixture into the dough with a wooden spoon.

Place the dough in a large bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and let rise in a cold oven with the door closed until it has nearly tripled in volume, 12 to 15 hours.

Locate and discard the vanilla bean, then sprinkle the dough lightly with flour and scrape out onto a lightly floured surface. Sprinkle a bit more flour onto the dough, then fold the edges of the dough in towards the center, forming a loose ball, and place, seam-side down, into the panettone mold. Cover with a damp kitchen towel (not terry cloth) and let rise in a draft-free place at warm room temperature until the dough is just above the top of the mold, 3 to 5 hours.

Preheat oven to 370 degrees F.

Place the dough-filled panettone mold on a baking sheet. Use a very sharp serrated knife to score an "X" across the entire surface of the dough. Place the 1 tablespoon chilled butter in the center of the X and bake until a wooden skewer inserted into the center comes out slightly moist but not wet, 60 to 75 minutes (the panettone will be very dark).

Remove from the oven and pierce 12-inch metal or wooden skewers all the way through the panettone (including the paper) 4 inches apart and 1 inch from the bottom so the skewers are parallel. Hang the panettone upside down over a large stockpot and cool completely before cutting. To store the panettone, wrap tightly in plastic wrap, then either place in a resealable plastic bag, or wrap again in foil. The bread will keep at room temperature for up to 1 week. (I have not tried freezing the bread, but I believe it would freeze well, wrapped in plastic, then foil, then placed in a resealable bag.)

Eggnog Bread with Rum Glaze is a tasty holiday recipe you can have for breakfast or a sweet treat. This goes really well with a warm mug of coffee or hot cocoa.

Eggnog Bread with Rum Glaze

eggs

full-fat eggnog

spiced rum

butter

vanilla pudding mix

baking powder

kosher salt

nutmeg

tbsp. spiced rum

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and spray a 9 x 5 inch bread pan with baking spray.

In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine eggs, eggnog, spiced rum, granulated sugar, vanilla extract. and softened butter and beat until combined.

In a medium bowl, combine flour, French vanilla pudding mix, baking powder, salt, nutmeg, and cinnamon and whisk until combined.

Gradually pour the dry ingredients into the stand mixer on low speed and mix just until combined.

Pour batter into the prepared bread pan and bake for 45-55 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the bread comes out clean.

Allow bread to cool.

Bread Directions:

Whisk together all glaze ingredients until smooth.

Drizzle over the bread.

Rum Glaze Directions:

Romanian Traditional Sweet Bread With Walnuts- Cozonac is a recipe made every year for the holidays. Flour, sugar, eggs, milk, and yeast are the main ingredients.

Romanian Traditional Sweet Bread With Walnuts- Cozonac

active dry yeast

500 ml whole milk

granulated sugar

egg egg

cup(250 grams) unsalted butter room temperature

lemon

walnuts

rum rum flavor

Warm up the milk to 110F/44C, add the...

Warm up the milk to 110F/44C, add the sugar, and mix to dissolve. Add the yeast and set aside in a warm, draught-free place for 5 minutes or until frothy.

Add the lemon rind and vanilla.

Separate the eggs. For the dough, we will...

Separate the eggs. For the dough, we will use only the yolks. (The egg white will be used to make the filling.)

In a small bowl, mix yolks with the...

In a small bowl, mix yolks with the salt. Salt is essential in baking. It enhances the taste of the final product. Also, in this case, the salt intensifies the color of the yolks, and the bread will have a slightly yellow, beautiful color. Set aside.

Meanwhile, sift the flour and place it in...

Meanwhile, sift the flour and place it in a bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook. Start the mixer on low speed and add egg yolks. Mix slowly while you start adding the milk mixture.

You will obtain a very soft, sticky dough....

You will obtain a very soft, sticky dough. Continue to mix while you add the soft butter, little by little. Continue to knead at low speed for 6-8 minutes or until the dough is smooth, elastic, and not sticky anymore. 

Beat the egg whites frothy, then add the...

Beat the egg whites frothy, then add the sugar and continue to beat to a soft pick. Fold the ground walnuts and the mixture of raisins and rum gently. 

Brush four loaf pans with melted butter to...

Brush four loaf pans with melted butter to grease.

Punch the center of the dough down with...

Punch the center of the dough down with your fist and turn it onto a lightly oiled surface. Knead for 1-2 minutes or until reduced to its original volume.

Divide the dough into 4 equal portions. Use a...

Divide the dough into 4 equal portions. Use a lightly oiled rolling pin to roll out a dough portion to an 8x10 inches(20 cm x 25 cm) rectangle.

Sprinkle a quarter of the filling evenly over...

Sprinkle a quarter of the filling evenly over the dough. Starting from a long side, roll up the dough to form a log and enclose the filling. Repeat with the remaining dough portions and filling.

Place each log into a tin. Cover with a...

Place each log into a tin. Cover with a slightly damp kitchen towel and set aside in a warm place for 1 hour or until almost doubled in size.

Preheat the oven to 350F/180C. 

Brush the tops of the loaves with the...

Brush the tops of the loaves with the whisked egg and sprinkle with the raw sugar.

Bake for 20 minutes. Reduce the temperature to...

Bake for 20 minutes. Reduce the temperature to 330F/170C and bake for a further 30 minutes or until cooked through and the loaves sound hollow when tapped on the top. 

Your oven could be different. Therefore you might...

Your oven could be different. Therefore you might need to bake for another 5-10 minutes or less. Stand in the tins for 5 minutes before turning onto a wire rack to cool (this will take about 1 hour).

Serve at room temperature, cut into slices and...

Serve at room temperature, cut into slices and enjoy!

Pistachio bread is a lovely, festive dessert bread that makes a perfect gift for teachers, neighbors, friends, and family!  It's an easy Christmas treat you can enjoy without a lot of work!

Pistachio Bread for the Holidays

yellow cake mix

(**see note below) 3.4-oz boxes instant pistachio pudding mix

vegetable oil

green food coloring (optional)

holiday sprinkles (optional)

Grease two 8x4" loaf pans (or 6 foil...

Grease two 8x4" loaf pans (or 6 foil mini pans or desired combination thereof) and preheat oven to 350F.

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted...

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or in a large mixing bowl with an electric hand mixer), combine dry cake mix, dry pudding mixes, hot water, vegetable oil, eggs, and food coloring (if using).  Beat on low speed for about 30 seconds, then increase speed to medium and continue beating for about two minutes.

Divide batter among prepared pans. If desired, top...

Divide batter among prepared pans. If desired, top with holiday sprinkles.

Bake for about 40-50 minutes for full-size pans,...

Bake for about 40-50 minutes for full-size pans, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.  If using mini pans, begin checking on them at about 25 minutes, then continue checking every five minutes until a toothpick comes out clean.

Allow to cool before serving.

https://mediavine-res.cloudinary.com/video/upload/xaa8fmdwcucvxfiepq9t.mp4

This easy pistachio bread is a delicious and lovely quickbread! It makes a festive holiday treat and a tasty handmade gift, and it's extra simple to make, thanks to cake mix and pudding mix. It's sure to become a Christmas tradition in your home!

Easy Pistachio Bread

Cozonac is a classic, simple, sweetened yeast bread with origins in Romania. Traditionally made during Easter and Christmas, this citrus-scented sweet dough is twisted around a nutty filling, creating a spiral design when baked. The result is a festive loaf bread with a tender and soft crumb.

Top 14 christmas bread recipes from across the web

The most viewed christmas bread recipes by Recipe Cart users, saved from over 6,000 sites. Or, go to our Recipe Search Engine

Top Tags

Paul Hollywood's Chelsea buns

Easy Panettone

Star Christmas Bread

Chocolate, cardamom and hazelnut ba...

Panettone [Italian Christmas Bread]

Eggnog Bread with Rum Glaze

Romanian Traditional Sweet Bread Wi...

Pistachio Bread for the Holidays

Romanian Easter Bread Cozonac

Australian Fairy Bread Recipe

Turkey, stuffing and cranberry Chel...

Christmas Stollen with Rum Glaze

St Lucia buns

Cranberry Pecan Bread

Top 14 christmas bread recipes from across the web

The most viewed christmas bread recipes by Recipe Cart users, saved from over 6,000 sites. Or, go to our Recipe Search Engineic_arrow_forward_48px

Top Tags

Paul Hollywood's Chelsea buns

Easy Panettone

Star Christmas Bread

Chocolate, cardamom and hazelnut ba...

Panettone [Italian Christmas Bread]

Eggnog Bread with Rum Glaze

Romanian Traditional Sweet Bread Wi...

Pistachio Bread for the Holidays

Romanian Easter Bread Cozonac

Australian Fairy Bread Recipe

Turkey, stuffing and cranberry Chel...

Christmas Stollen with Rum Glaze

St Lucia buns

Cranberry Pecan Bread

The most viewed christmas bread recipes by Recipe Cart users, saved from over 6,000 sites. Or, go to our Recipe Search Engine