Christmas Bread Recipe
Ingredients
| Flour | 3 3/4 Cup (16 tbs) | |
| Active dry yeast | 1 | |
| Milk | 1/2 Cup (16 tbs) | |
| Butter | 1/2 Cup (16 tbs) | |
| Eggs | 2 | |
| Sugar | 1/3 Cup (16 tbs) | |
| Salt | 1/2 Teaspoon | |
| Grated rind of 1 lemon | ||
| Raisins | 1 Cup (16 tbs) | |
| Blanched almonds | 3/4 Cup (16 tbs) | |
| Candied lemon peel | 1/2 Cup (16 tbs), diced | |
| Candied orange peel | 1/4 Cup (16 tbs), diced | |
| 2 jiggers (4 cL) dark rum | ||
| In addition | ||
| Butter | 1/2 Cup (16 tbs) (For brushing) | |
| Vanilla sugar for dredging loaf, made from 1/2 cup (100 g) sugar combined with the pith of 1/2 vanilla bean | ||
| Powdered sugar for sifting over loaf | ||
Directions
Sift the flour into a bowl, make a depression in the center, and sprinkle in the yeast.
Warm the milk and pour it in; stir the yeast in the milk until completely dissolved and sprinkle a little flour over the yeast-milk mixture.
Let stand in a warm place, covered with a cloth, about 20 minutes, until fissures are visible on the surface.
Melt the butter (note that it must be no more than lukewarm).
In a bowl, combine the butter, eggs, salt, and lemon rind.
Add this mixture to the fermenting yeast-milk solution and beat to form a smooth yeast dough.
Let rise 20-25 minutes, until doubled in volume.
Pour the rum over the raisins, almonds, candied lemon peel, and candied orange peel and let steep until the liquor is well absorbed.
Quickly knead into the fully risen yeast dough; let rise again.
Form the dough into a ball, flatten slightly into a loaf shape, and place on a baking sheet lined with silicone paper.
Cover the loaf with a cloth and let rise until it has increased markedly in volume.
Preheat the oven to 400°F. (210°C), in time for completion of the final rising.
Bake the Christmas Bread on the bottom shelf for about 50 minutes.
Check to see whether the dough is baked all the way through, using a wooden pick (no dough should cling to the surface).
Remove from the oven.
Melt the butter, brush the loaf with it on all sides, and scatter with the sugar.
If desired, sift powdered sugar over it also before serving.
Warm the milk and pour it in; stir the yeast in the milk until completely dissolved and sprinkle a little flour over the yeast-milk mixture.
Let stand in a warm place, covered with a cloth, about 20 minutes, until fissures are visible on the surface.
Melt the butter (note that it must be no more than lukewarm).
In a bowl, combine the butter, eggs, salt, and lemon rind.
Add this mixture to the fermenting yeast-milk solution and beat to form a smooth yeast dough.
Let rise 20-25 minutes, until doubled in volume.
Pour the rum over the raisins, almonds, candied lemon peel, and candied orange peel and let steep until the liquor is well absorbed.
Quickly knead into the fully risen yeast dough; let rise again.
Form the dough into a ball, flatten slightly into a loaf shape, and place on a baking sheet lined with silicone paper.
Cover the loaf with a cloth and let rise until it has increased markedly in volume.
Preheat the oven to 400°F. (210°C), in time for completion of the final rising.
Bake the Christmas Bread on the bottom shelf for about 50 minutes.
Check to see whether the dough is baked all the way through, using a wooden pick (no dough should cling to the surface).
Remove from the oven.
Melt the butter, brush the loaf with it on all sides, and scatter with the sugar.
If desired, sift powdered sugar over it also before serving.
Chef
