The Christmas braid is made like a simple brioche bread and braided. A very easy leavened dough to prepare, perfect for both breakfast and as a substitute for panettone. Flavored with the aromatic mix for panettone. Raisins and candied orange can be replaced with nuts and chocolate chips. Try it, it’s very soft and fragrant. You can also make it lactose-free or glaze it with a delicious almond glaze.
If you don’t want to miss any new recipes, follow me also on my FB page, on my IG profile and on my YouTube channel
Discover other Christmas recipes
- Difficulty: Easy
- Cost: Medium
- Rest time: 6 Hours
- Preparation time: 30 Minutes
- Cooking methods: Oven
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: Winter, Christmas
Ingredients
- 3 1/4 cups Manitoba flour
- 8.8 oz sourdough starter
- 1/2 cup water
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1 oz honey
- 3 eggs
- 5.3 oz butter
- 1/3 cup raisins
- 1/3 cup candied orange
- 1 oz honey
- 1 vanilla bean
- 1/2 lemon
- 1/2 orange
- 1 egg
- 2 tablespoons milk
Tools
- 1 Stand mixer
- 1 Work surface
- 1 Loaf pan
Steps
Grate the orange and lemon zest into a bowl.
Add the honey and vanilla bean seeds, then mix.
Cover and leave at room temperature.
Soak the raisins in hot water for 30 minutes.
Rinse them well under running water.
Place them on a tray with a cloth and let them dry.
In the stand mixer bowl, combine water and sugar.
Dissolve well, then add the sourdough starter, flour, and half of the eggs.
Start kneading and let it work for 10 minutes.Once the dough is formed, add the salt and the aromatic mix.
After absorption, add the other half of the eggs.
Continue kneading and add half of the butter.Bring it back to smoothness and finish with the last part of the butter.
Add the raisins and candied orange, let absorb for 1 minute at low speed.
If not sufficient, knead by hand.
Once the dough is formed, stop the machine, transfer to a bowl, and cover.Let the dough rise until doubled in a warm place 79°F-82°F, about 4 hours.
Deflate the dough and turn it onto a lightly floured work surface.
Roll the dough into a rectangle up to 0.4 inches thick.Roll it up and cut it in half lengthwise. Braid the two strands.
Gently transfer into a loaf pan, lined with .
Let rise again until doubled, covered with plastic wrap, in a warm place (79°F-82°F) for about 2 hours.Preheat the oven to static mode at 356°F.
Brush with the beaten egg yolk and milk and bake for about 30 minutes.
Remove from the oven and let cool.
Unmold and dust with powdered sugar before serving.
Advice
Stores in a bag for up to 5 days.
To make it more delicious, you can replace the egg and milk glaze with an icing, following this recipe
1.8 oz almond flour (or almonds)
5.3 oz granulated sugar
1.8 oz cornstarch
2.1 oz egg white
Place all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth, about 30 seconds.
Transfer directly into a piping bag or into a bowl and let rest in the refrigerator until 20 minutes before use. I always advise not to place it cold on leavened dough.
FAQ (Questions and Answers)
Can I make the Christmas braid lactose-free?
Sure, you can substitute the butter with lactose-free butter or margarine in the same quantities.
