Christmas Bread Wreath Recipes

Steps:

• Grease cookie sheet. Sprinkle 2 tablespoons of the cheese onto flat surface. Roll bread dough in cheese into 24-inch rope. Place on cookie sheet, forming circle; pinch ends to seal.
• Snip dough 16 times from the outer edge of the circle at about 1 1/2-inch intervals, cutting two-thirds of the way through, using kitchen scissors. Lift and turn every other section of dough toward the center of the circle pinching ends, so the dough resembles branches if desired.
• Cover and let rise in warm place 1 to 2 hours or until double. (Dough is ready if indentation remains when touched.)
• Heat oven to 350°F. Mix oil and garlic; brush over dough. Sprinkle with remaining 2 tablespoons cheese. Bake 25 to 30 minutes or until golden brown.

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.

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!