Earthycooking : Christmas Fruit Bread Wreath

Tuesday, December 19, 2017

Christmas Fruit Bread Wreath

Our kitchen smells so Christmassy because I have been baking some sweet and savory goodies lately. I am very happy to post some of them. Christmas wreath bread is another amazing show stopper at Christmas table. I used my Italian Sweet Easter bread dough recipe filled with some dried fruits and turned it into a wreath. It is so simple to create an edible wreath. Fillings can be any sweet stuff but dried fruits really smells Christmassy. This bread is best when served fresh from the oven. But you can bake it ahead, warm it up before serving. Feel free to add a couple of tablespoons orange flavored liqueur like Triple Sec or Cointreau if you have it on hand. Soak dried fruits in orange flavored liqueur for 1 hour if using.

Ingredients~
2 1/4 cups all purpose flour + extra for dusting
3/4 tsp. active dry yeast
1/4 tsp. salt
4 tbsp. unsalted melted butter
3 tbsp. sugar
1 tsp. orange zest
3/4 cup warm orange juice
2 eggs, beaten separately
1/2 cup mixed dried fruits
2 tbsp. Triple Sec or Cointreau

For the glaze~
4 tbsp. low fat cream cheese
1/2 tsp. water
1 tbsp. confectioner's sugar

Method~

Soak dried fruit mix in orange flavored liqueur for 1 hour if using. In a large bowl, beat one egg and sugar with a hand mixer until fluffy, then add yeast, melted butter, salt, orange zest and juice. Mix until smooth. Now slowly add flour and scrape the sides of the bowl in between. Keep stirring with a wooden spoon until most of the flour is incorporated and the mixture becomes a sticky dough.

Place the dough on a lightly floured surface, flour your hands and knead for 5-6 minutes. Shape a round ball. Place the dough in a oiled bowl and brush the dough with oil. Cover with a plastic wrap or a damp kitchen towel. Let it rise in a draft free warm place for 1 1/2- 2 hours or until it doubles in volume.

Punch the dough down. Flour your work surface and hands. Lightly knead and roll out to a rectangle 18 x 12 inch. Spread the dried fruit mixture over the dough leaving the 1/4 inch border on top. To make a ring, roll up from the long side, like a cake roll and pinch to seal the seam at the end of rolling. Form the log into a 8 inch circle and join the two ends together.

Transfer the log on to a parchment lined 16 inch round pizza pan. Cut about 24 slits across the log (not all the way through)with a scissors or a sharp kitchen knife about 3/4 inch apart. Turn each roll on its side. Tuck both ends. Cover with a damp cloth and let rise about 30 minutes or until doubled in size.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Beat one egg and brush all over the risen dough. Bake until the wreath is light golden brown for 18 to 20 minutes. Rotate the sheet half way through to get evenly golden color. Let cool on a wire rack for about 5 minutes before applying the glaze. Serve warm.

For the glaze~
Slightly warm cream cheese in the microwave. Whisk with confectioner's sugar and water until well blended. Adjust consistency if needed. Drizzle with a spoon over the wreath with glaze.