Holiday Bread Wreath Recipes

CHRISTMAS WREATH BREAD

Steps:

• In a large bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water. Add the butter, milk powder, sugar, egg, salt and 3 cups flour. Beat on medium speed for 3 minutes. Stir in enough remaining flour to form a soft dough (dough will be sticky). , Turn onto a floured surface; knead until smooth and elastic, about 6-8 minutes. Place in a greased bowl, turning once to grease the top. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1 hour. , Punch dough down. On a lightly floured surface, roll dough into an 18x12-in. rectangle. Brush with melted butter. Sprinkle with chopped almonds and cinnamon to within 1/2 in. of edges. Roll up jelly-roll style, starting with a long side; pinch seam to seal., Place seam side down on a greased baking sheet; pinch ends together to form a ring. With scissors, cut from outside edge to two-thirds of the way toward center of ring at 1-in. intervals. Separate strips slightly; twist to allow filling to show. Cover and let rise until doubled, about 45 minutes., Bake at 375° for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown. Combine confectioners' sugar, water and extract; drizzle over warm bread.

HOLIDAY BISCUIT WREATH

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a 10-inch tube pan with cooking spray.
• Cut each biscuit into 2 half moons to make 48 biscuit pieces. Separate the pieces into 2 piles.
• Working with half of the dough, flatten a piece of biscuit in your hand and stuff it with a cheese cube and about 1/4 teaspoon fig preserves (it is easier to roll if you use the little pieces of fig from the preserves). Gather the dough around it and roll into a ball. Repeat with the remaining dough, cheese and jam to make 24 balls; set aside.
• With the remaining dough, stuff and roll each piece of biscuit with an olive.
• Toss the almonds and parsley together in a medium bowl. Toss the Cheddar, paprika and cayenne together in another medium bowl. Put the melted butter in a small bowl.
• Alternating every so often between the two flavors, dip the cheese and jam balls in butter, then roll them to coat in the almond topping; and dip the olive balls in butter and roll them to coat in the Cheddar topping. Arrange the balls in the tube pan so that the flavors are interspersed.
• Bake the bread until golden brown all over and the dough is baked through, about 35 minutes. Cool in the pan 10 minutes, then turn out onto a plate and serve warm.

HOLIDAY BREAD WREATH

Steps:

• Mix 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, the bread flour, salt, yeast and 2 1/2 cups lukewarm water (105 degrees F to 110 degrees F) in a large bowl with a wooden spoon to make a wet and sticky dough. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and set aside in a warm place until almost tripled in size, 2 to 3 hours (the top will flatten and begin to sink in the center). Divide the dough in half and transfer one piece to another bowl. Cover both bowls with plastic wrap and refrigerate until cold, about 2 hours.
• Put a pizza stone or inverted rimmed baking sheet on the highest oven rack and put a broiler pan on the lowest rack; preheat the oven to 475 degrees F. Remove the dough from the refrigerator, sprinkle each piece with 1/4 cup flour, then shape each into a smooth, taut ball. Cover the bowls loosely with plastic wrap; refrigerate 30 minutes.
• Put a large piece of parchment paper on a pizza peel or another inverted baking sheet and dust with flour. Using floured hands, pick up a ball of dough and poke your thumbs through the center to make a hole. Place on the parchment, then gently stretch the dough from the center to make a 9-inch-diameter ring with a 5-inch hole in the center. Sprinkle generously with flour. Lay out another sheet of parchment, dust with flour and repeat to shape the other ball of dough into a ring. Let rest, uncovered, 15 minutes.
• Holding kitchen shears at a 45 degrees F angle, make deep cuts at 1-to-1 1/2-inch intervals all the way around both dough rings, pulling the cut sections away from the center as you go to make "leaves." Let rest, uncovered, until plump, about 15 more minutes.
• Slide one dough wreath (on the parchment) directly onto the hot stone. Carefully pour 1 cup water into the broiler pan underneath to create steam; quickly shut the oven door. Bake until the bread is golden brown, 15 to 20 minutes. Transfer to a rack to cool. Repeat with the second dough wreath, adding another cup of water to the broiler pan.

CRANBERRY-ALMOND HOLIDAY WREATH BREAD

Steps:

• 1.
• Sprinkle yeast over warm water in a large bowl; stir briefly.
• Let stand until foamy (about 5 minutes).
• Stir in milk, sugar, butter, salt, cardamom, eggs, and lemon peel.
• Using electric mixer (with a paddle attachment if you have one) or a heavy spoon, add 2 cups of the flour, 1 cup at a time, beating well after addition.
• Then eat on medium speed for 3 minutes.
• Add 1 1/4 cups more flour; beat until combined.
• Scrape dough out onto a lightly floured board and knead until smooth (5 to 10 minutes) adding more flour as needed to prevent sticking.
• Place in a greased bowl; turn over to grease top.
• Cover with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place until doubled (about 1 1/2 hours).
• Meanwhile, prepare filling.
• In a medium-size bowl, combine butter,flour and sugar.
• Beat until smooth.
• Stir in almonds, dried cranberries, lemon peep, and almond extract.
• Cover and refrigerate.
• Punch doubled dough down and knead briefly on a lightly floured board to release ari.
• Roll into a 9- by 30-inch rectangle.
• Crumble filling dough to within 1 inch of edges.
• Beginning at long side, tightly roll up dough, pinching edge against loaf to seal.
• With a sharp knife, cut roll in half lengthwise, carefully turn cut sides up.
• Loosely twist ropes around each other, keeping cut side up.
• Transfer to a greased and floured baking sheet and shape into a 10-inch ring, pinching ends together to seal.
• Let rise, uncovered, in a warm place until puffy (45 to 60 minutes).
• Bake in a 375°F oven until lightly browned (about 20 minutes).
• Transfer to a rack and let cool briefly.
• Meanwhile, prepare sugar glaze.
• In a small bow, combine powdered sugar, lemon juice and 1 tablespoon water; stir until smooth.
• Drizzle over warm bread.