Braided Bread Wreath Recipes

Steps:

• For the Garlic-Herb Butter: In a food processor, combine parsley, thyme, garlic, and cheese and pulse until mixture has the texture of a paste. Add butter; pulse until fully combined and mixture has a vivid green color. Season with 1 teaspoon salt and freshly ground pepper to taste; pulse to incorporate. This can be made up to a week in advance and refrigerated in an airtight container. Return to room temperature before using.
• For the Dough: Sprinkle yeast over water in a medium bowl. Let stand until foamy, about 5 minutes. Beat egg and add to bowl along with milk, sugar, salt, flour, and butter. Stir until a loose, slightly tacky dough forms (it will firm up when kneaded). Turn out onto a floured surface and knead until smooth and supple, about 5 minutes.
• Transfer to a buttered bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and let stand in a warm, draft-free area until doubled in volume, about 1 hour. (Dough can be covered at this point and refrigerated up to 24 hours.)
• To Assemble: Line a baking sheet with parchment. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Roll out to a 17-by-10-inch rectangle. Spread garlic-herb butter evenly over surface, all the way to edges. Starting at a long end, roll dough into a tight cylinder, pinching seam to seal. Transfer to baking sheet; refrigerate until firm, about 30 minutes.
• Cut lengthwise through dough down center of log, leaving about 1/2 inch intact at one end; turn cut-sides up. Lift one length up and over the other; repeat with second length. Continue to overlap pieces to form a log. It should be about 22 inches long; if not, stretch it a bit to lengthen. Shape into a 9 1/2-inch-diameter circle, and pinch ends to seal.
• Cover loosely with plastic; let stand until soft and nearly doubled in volume, about 30 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 375°F. Bake wreath until golden brown and baked through (internal temperature of about 200°), 25 to 30 minutes. Let cool on sheet on a wire rack about 15 minutes, then slide directly onto rack and let cool completely. Wreath is best enjoyed within 1 day; store tightly wrapped in plastic at room temperature.

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Line a sheet pan with parchment and sprinkle with a thin layer of cornmeal.
• On a floured work surface, roll out the 3 dough portions into 3 long ropes. Line the 3 ropes up next to each other with the top ends overlapping and the bottom ends about 3 inches apart. Pinch the top ends. Braid the ropes together; pull the left section over to the center, then hold the old center section with your left hand and pull it to the side. Finally, bring the right section over the center. Repeat the process, alternating sides, until the entire length of bread is braided. Join both ends to form a round wreath.
• Transfer the dough wreath to the parchment lined sheet pan. Dust with flour, and cover with a kitchen towel. Let proof in a warm spot for 45 minutes.
• In a small bowl mix together the olive oil, garlic, paprika, Italian seasoning, and cheese. Set aside. Beat the egg with the water in a small bowl, and set aside
• Bake the bread wreath in the preheated oven for 40 minutes. Reduce the oven temperature to 350 degrees F. Remove the bread from the oven, and brush it with the olive oil mixture. Put it back in the oven, and bake it for an additional 20 minutes. In the last 10 minutes of baking, coat the entire wreath with the egg wash and sprinkle with coarse salt. Remove from the oven and serve hot.

Steps:

• In a large bowl, stir yeast into water to soften. Add milk, butter, sugar, lemon rind, eggs, salt, mace, and 2 cups flour. Beat vigorously for 2 minutes.
• Gradually add flour, 1/4 cup at a time, until the dough begins to pull away from the side of the bowl.
• Turn dough out onto a floured work surface. Knead, adding flour a little at a time, until you have a smooth, elastic dough.
• Put dough into an oiled bowl. Turn to coat the entire ball of dough with oil. Cover with a tightly woven towel and let rise until doubled, about 1 hour.
• Turn dough out onto a lightly oiled work surface and divide in half. Using a rolling pin, roll half of the dough into a 22 by 9-inch rectangle. Cover and let rest 5 minutes on the work surface.
• Cut the dough into three 22-inch long strips.
• Mix the nuts and candied fruit. Fill the center of each strip with 1/2 cup of the nut and fruit mixture. Bring edges together and pinch to seal forming three 22-inch-long strands.
• Lay the strands side-by-side on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Turn the baking sheet so the strands are facing lengthwise away from you. Starting in the center of the strands, place the right strand over the middle strand (the right strand has now become the middle strand), then the left strand over the middle, the right over the middle, left over the middle, etc. Continue this process until the strands are too short to braid. Do not pinch the end together.
• To braid the other end of the loaf, turn the baking sheet around so that the unbraided portion is facing you. Place the middle strand over the right strand, then middle strand over the left, middle over the right, middle over the left, etc., until the ends are too short to braid. Join the ends of the braid to form a wreath, and pinch to seal. Repeat with the other half of the dough. Cover with a tightly woven towel and let rise until almost doubled, about 45 minutes.
• About 10 minutes before baking, preheat oven to 375 degrees.
• Bake for 25 minutes, or until the internal temperature of the loaf reaches 190 degrees.
• Immediately remove bread from baking sheet and cool on a rack for 20 minutes.
• Combine powdered sugar and cream. Mixture should be the consistency of honey (if it isn't, adjust by adding more cream to thin it or powdered sugar to thicken it). Drizzle over the top of each 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.

Steps:

• Remove the pizza dough from the refrigerator and allow to come to room temperature, 2 to 3 hours.
• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Spray a Bundt pan with nonstick cooking spray.
• Add the olive oil to a medium saute pan over medium-high heat and cook the sausage until brown, 12 to 15 minutes. Transfer to a medium bowl with a slotted spoon and allow to cool slightly.
• Roll out the dough on a lightly floured surface into a long oval about 10 inches wide by 18 inches long. Spread 1/2 cup pesto in the middle of the dough, leaving about a 2-inch dough border.
• Add the mortadella, pepperoni, salami and mozzarella to the cooked sausage and toss to combine.
• Scoop the sausage mixture on top of the pesto. Fold both sides of the dough lengthwise around the filling to create a seam along the center of the log. Crimp the seam to seal. Place in the greased Bundt pan seam-side up. Poke holes along the top to release the steam. Bake until golden brown on top, about 25 minutes.
• Let rest for 5 minutes. Place a cutting board on top of the Bundt pan and flip the wreath out carefully, then remove the pan.
• Form a sun-dried tomato bow by cutting one sun-dried tomato in half lengthwise. Arrange the remaining 2 sun-dried tomatoes end-to-end, then wrap one of the halves around its center and secure with a toothpick to make the bow. Cut the remaining half lengthwise into 2 pieces and arrange them hanging down from behind the back of the bow, securing with a toothpick.
• Serve the wreath with the remaining pesto in a bowl in the center. Garnish with the sun-dried tomato bow and gaze at the glory of the sausage wreath!

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.