Schnitzbrot German Christmas Bread Recipes

Steps:

• Cover mixed dried fruit and apples with boiling water in saucepan and soak overnight.
• Next morning, cook until fruit is quite soft, about 15 minutes, then drain well in a colander.
• Chop or cut up fruit.
• Soften yeast in lukewarm water, add 1 Tbsp sugar and let stand 10 minutes.
• Add milk.
• Add 1 ½ C flour to make a sponge and set aside until bubbles break on top.
• Cream butter in a large mixing bowl.
• Add 1 C sugar and cream well.
• Mix in beaten eggs.
• Add the sponge, chopped fruits, salt, cinnamon, raisins, currants and nuts.
• Beat in 3 cups flour.
• Divide dough into fourths.
• Take out ¼ of the dough and knead on a floured pastry cloth or board adding enough flour to keep the dough soft but not sticky.
• Continue doing this 3 more times until all the dough has been worked up, then knead it all together.
• Lightly oil a clean bowl, take dough and run the top around the inside of the bowl, place it in the bowl, cover and let rise in a warm place until double in bulk.
• Knead lightly, divide into 4 portions and shape each into a loaf, place in greased loaf pans.
• Cover and let rise until double.
• Bake at 400° for 10 minutes, reduce heat to 350° and bake 45 minutes longer or until done.

Steps:

• Place the dried pears, figs, prunes, raisins or sultanas, candied orange and lemon peel, and the spices into a medium saucepan with a cup of water, the sugar, and the kirsch or rum. Bring just to a boil over high heat, stirring often. Immediately remove from heat and cover; set aside to steep.
• Meanwhile, in a large mixing bowl dissolve the yeast in a half cup of the lukewarm steeping liquid, and let sit until bubbling (about 5 minutes).
• Gradually stir the flour into the yeast mixture, adding a little more liquid or flour if necessary to make a firm dough. Wrap the dough with a clean tea towel, and leave to rise for 30 minutes.
• Gradually add the nuts, candied orange and lemon peel, and the dried fruit and knead well into the dough. Form the dough into a loaf. Leave to rise for an hour again.
• Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C). Butter the baking sheet (or line with parchment paper), and bake the loaf for about an hour (50 to 60 minutes).
• Let cool for 5-10 minutes before removing bread to rack. Allow to cool completely.
• Wrap bread in cling wrap and then in foil, and place in a cool spot or the refrigerator to mellow for up to several weeks.
• Allow bread to come to room temperature before serving. Serve sliced with or without fresh butter, as desired. Good with a cuppa. Frohes Fest!