Christmas Braid Yeast Bread Recipes

Steps:

• In a large bowl, combine 3 cups flour and yeast. In a saucepan, heat milk, sugar, butter and salt to 120°-130°; add to flour mixture. Add egg. Beat on low speed with electric mixture for 30 seconds; increase speed to medium and continue beating for 3 minutes. Stir in raisins, candied fruit, nuts an enough remaining flour to form a stiff dough. Turn out onto a floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic, about 8-10 minutes. Place in a greased bowl, turning once to grease top. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1-1/2 hours. Divide dough in thirds, then divide each into thirds again. Roll each piece into a 15-in. rope. Place 3 ropes 1 in. apart on greased baking sheet. Begin braiding loosely in the middle and work toward the ends. Pinch ends together and tuck under. Repeat with remaining ropes. Cover and let rise until doubled, about 30-40 minutes. Combine egg yolk and water; brush over braids. Bake at 350° for 20-25 minutes or until browned. Cool on wire racks.

Steps:

• Dissolve yeast in warm water until foamy. In another bowl, combine milk, egg, butter, sugar and salt; add yeast mixture and 3 cups flour. Beat on medium speed until smooth, about 1 minute. Stir in enough remaining flour to form a soft dough., Turn onto a floured surface; knead until smooth and elastic, 6-8 minutes. Place in a greased bowl, turning once to grease top. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1 hour., Punch down dough. Turn onto a lightly floured surface; divide into 4 portions. Roll 1 portion into a 12-in. circle. Place on a greased 14-in. pizza pan. Spread with one-third of the jam to within 1/2 in. of edge. Repeat twice, layering dough and jam, and ending with final portion of dough., Place a 2-1/2-in. round cutter on top of the dough in center of circle (do not press down). With a sharp knife, make 16 evenly spaced cuts from round cutter to edge of dough, forming a starburst. Remove cutter; grasp 2 adjacent strips and rotate twice outward. Pinch ends together. Repeat with remaining strips., Cover and let rise until almost doubled, about 30 minutes. Preheat oven to 375°. Bake until golden brown, 18-22 minutes. (Watch during final 5 minutes for any dripping.) Remove from oven; brush with melted butter, avoiding areas where jam is visible. Cool completely on a wire rack. Dust with confectioners' sugar.

Steps:

• In a large bowl, combine 2-1/2 cups flour, sugar, yeast and salt. In a small saucepan, heat water and oil to 120°-130°. Add to dry ingredients along with eggs. Beat on medium speed for 3 minutes. Stir in enough remaining flour to form a soft dough. , Turn onto a lightly floured surface; knead until smooth and elastic, 6-8 minutes. Place in a greased bowl, turning once to grease top. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1-1/2 hours., Punch dough down. Turn onto a lightly floured surface. Set a third of the dough aside. Divide remaining dough into 3 pieces. Shape each into a 13-in. rope. Place ropes on a greased baking sheet and braid; pinch ends to seal and tuck under. , Divide reserved dough into 3 equal pieces; shape each into a 14-in. rope. Braid ropes. Center 14-in. braid on top of the shorter braid. Pinch ends to seal and tuck under. Cover and let rise until doubled, about 30 minutes. , Preheat oven to 375°. In a small bowl, beat egg and water; brush over dough. Sprinkle with poppy seeds. Bake until golden brown, 25-30 minutes. Cover with foil during the last 15 minutes of baking. Remove from pan to a wire rack to cool.

Steps:

• Dissolve yeast in warm water in a small bowl. Beat eggs and egg yolk together in a small bowl. Scoop out 2 tablespoons of beaten egg; keep refrigerated.
• Preheat the oven to 170 degrees F (75 degrees C).
• Combine sugar, margarine, and salt in a large bowl. Mix thoroughly until dissolved. Add warm and cool cream to the bowl. Stir in yeast mixture. Beat in eggs. Add flour 1 cup at a time, blending well between additions.
• Turn dough out onto a floured board; knead until smooth and elastic, 5 to 7 minutes. Spray a clean bowl with cooking spray. Place dough inside and spray the top.
• Cover dough with a dish cloth. Turn off oven and place dough inside. Allow to rest until doubled in size, about 1 hour.
• Remove dough from the bowl and knead for 2 to 3 minutes. Split in half; split each half into thirds. Roll each section of dough into long, 24-inch snakes. Braid 3 together, making sure to secure the ends. Repeat with the remaining 3 sections.
• Reheat the oven to 170 degrees F (75 degrees C). Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper. Transfer braids to the cookie sheet.
• Turn off oven. Let braids rise in the warm oven for 45 minutes.
• Remove braids from the oven and brush with reserved beaten egg. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Bake braids in the preheated oven until tops are golden, 25 to 30 minutes. Cool completely before slicing.

Steps:

• In a large bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water. Add the milk, sugar, butter, 1 egg, orange zest, salt, extract and 1 cup flour; beat until smooth. Stir in enough remaining flour to form a soft dough. , Turn onto a floured surface; knead until smooth and elastic, about 6-8 minutes. Place in a greased bowl, turning once to grease top. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1 hour., Punch dough down; divide into thirds. Roll each portion into a 20-in. rope. Braid the ropes; shape into a wreath and pinch ends to seal. Place on a greased baking sheet. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 45 minutes., For glaze, beat egg; lightly brush over dough. Bake at 350° for 30-35 minutes or until golden brown. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pan to a wire rack to cool.

Steps:

• 1. Disolve yeast in warm water, stir in milk, sugar, butter, egg, salt and 2 cups of the flour. Beat until smooth. Stir in more flour to make dough plyable/easy to handle. Turn into greased bowl, Cover and put on top of stove to rise. Let rise 1.5 hours (until nearly double in size) Punch down, kneed again. Put back in bowl to rise another 1/2 hour or so. Turn out onto Floured area. Cut dough into halves or Thirds (I do halves) Each half gets split into thirds to roll out. Roll out each section, Spread butter, brown suger, walnuts. Roll up, place on (good insulated cookie sheet or baking sheet) don't want the bottom to burn or get too brown.) You place each of the three sections on a baking sheet and braid them together or make a design you feel confortable with. Once you have braided them make sure the ends are closed off..and bake the alotted time. When the breads come out.. Immediately brush butter on them. Brush or drizzle glaze mixture over the warm bread, when still on baking sheet, sprinkle brown sugar, cinnamon, walnut mixture over the top, decorate with cherries and let cool. This recipe makes two good sized braids. Keep one for yourself and give the other away.. Everyone loves this bread as it's not sickening sweet. Tip. Take breads out when lightly brown.. Don't over cook and you will have a more soft chewy inside to the bread.
• 2. Make a mixture of the filling up while your bread dough is rising. You can also put chop up some of the cherries and put that in your filling if you like. When it is time to roll your dough you will butter it and spread this mixture before you roll up each section and make your braids.
• 3. For the Glaze I generally don't even measure.. I just mix up some confectioners sugar and milk to a smooth consistancy and add a little cherry juice to the mixture for flavor and color. Should be a pale pink color. When the bread comes out. Brush butter over the bread first then when you take the bread off the cookie sheets and put it on a plate or container of your choice you can decorate it by drizzling or brushing on the glaze, sprinkling any left over topping mix over and placing the cherries. I also drizzle more glaze after I have put on my cherries. This bread is soooo good!!

Steps:

• Combine cranberries, maraschino cherries, and raisins in a food processor, meat grinder, or baby food mill fitted with the blade. Process until finely chopped.
• Transfer the fruit mixture to a saucepan; add sugar and honey. Bring to a boil. Cook over medium heat until quite thick, 5 to 10 minutes. Let cool, about 15 minutes. Refrigerate filling; it should thicken to the consistency of thick jam.
• Combine water, yeast, and 1 teaspoon sugar in a 1-cup glass measuring cup. Let stand until foamy, about 5 minutes.
• Meanwhile, microwave 1 cup butter in a 4-cup glass measuring cup until melted, about 1 minute on high. Add milk and microwave on medium until steaming, about 3 minutes. Let cool slightly.
• Stir proofed yeast and eggs into the milk mixture. Mix flour and 3 tablespoons sugar in a large bowl; make a well in the center. Pour yeast mixture into the well. Stir until well combined. Cover bowl with greased plastic wrap or a lid and refrigerate, 3 hours to overnight.
• Line 2 baking sheet with foil and grease lightly with 1 teaspoon butter.
• Divide dough into 2 pieces. Roll a piece out into 18x14-inch rectangle on the foil. Cut eighteen 1-inch flaps down each long side like the legs of a centipede. Spread 1/2 of the filling down the center strip. Overlap the flaps of dough alternately over the filling, tucking the ends under. Repeat with the second piece of dough and remaining filling.
• Gently curve the tops of the loaves to form a candy cane shape. Leave at least a couple inches all around for dough to expand. Cover with dry towels and let rise until puffed and doubled in size, about 45 minutes.
• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
• Uncover loaves and bake in the preheated oven until golden brown, about 15 minutes.
• Mix icing sugar, melted butter, and milk in a small bowl or glass measuring cup to make icing. Spoon into a resealable plastic bag and snip off a bottom corner. Drizzle icing over candy cane loaves while still warm.

Steps:

• Mix water, yeast, and 1 tablespoon sugar together in a small bowl until yeast is raised and bubbly, 5 to 10 minutes.
• Cream butter and 1 cup sugar together in the bowl of an electric stand mixer. Pour in warm milk and add yeast mixture, eggs, and salt; mix together. Mix in flour until just incorporated; do not knead dough.
• Move dough to a large bowl and cover with a towel. Let rise until doubled in size, about 1 1/2 hours. Punch dough down and let rise for another 45 minutes.
• While dough is rising, heat milk for pastry filling in a medium saucepan until warm, 2 to 3 minutes. Whisk in 3 tablespoons flour gradually. Beat egg yolk in a separate bowl and add a little of the warm milk mixture to temper it; whisk yolk mixture into milk mixture. Mix in sugar and salt. Cook until thickened, stirring constantly, about 5 minutes.
• Let cool to room temperature, about 5 minutes. Cover the top with plastic wrap, touching the filling, to prevent skin from forming. Refrigerate until cool, 20 to 30 minutes.
• Meanwhile, make almond filling by mixing butter, sugar, and almond extract together in a bowl until blended. Set aside.
• Make nut crumb filling by crumbling flour, sugar, walnuts, and butter together in a bowl. Set aside.
• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Line 2 half sheet pans with parchment paper or silicone mats.
• Divide the dough and fillings in 1/2 for 2 loaves. Set aside a small amount of nut filling to sprinkle on top of loaves.
• Roll out 1/2 of the dough onto 1 of the prepared pans into a rectangle that fills the pan. Spread cream filling lengthwise down the middle 1/3 of the dough, leaving about 1 inch free on each short end. Sprinkle almond filling on top of cream, followed by nut crumb filling.
• Make diagonal cuts into the dough on either side of the filling down each side, about 2 inches apart; don't cut too close to filling or it will leak out. Fold dough strips across the top of the filling, alternating each side, to make a braid. Tuck the 2 short ends into the braid to prevent leaking. Brush with reserved egg white and sprinkle with 1/2 of the reserved nut crumb filling. Repeat for second loaf.
• Bake loaves in the preheated oven until golden, 20 to 30 minutes.
• Remove from the oven and let cool for at least 20 minutes. Slice and serve.