Christmas bread

A traditional Dutch nuts and fruit bread filled with an almond paste eaten around the holidays. A dusting of powdered sugar makes it even more festive. This bread is always on our Christmas (and Easter) morning breakfast table!

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Prep Time 20

Cook Time 35

Resting time (1st-2nd-3rd rise) 1 45

Total Time 2 40

Course Bread, Breakfast, Brunch

Cuisine Holidays

Servings 12 slices

Ingredients

Almond paste ingredients

75 gr almond meal
75 gr dates (chopped in a food processor)(or sub honey, Stevia or (coconut) sugar)
½ tsp lemon zest (or sub lime or orange zest)

Bread ingredients

200 gr white whole wheat flour (or use ½ regular whole wheat flour, ½ all purpose flour. Spelt flour works really good as well)
50 gr almond flour
135 gr lukewarm almond milk (or sub other type of milk except for coconut milk)
7 gr dry yeast
1 egg yolk (I wouldn't replace it with a flax seed egg; the bread won't hold together)
6 gr sea salt
1 tsp cinnamon (or use gingerbread spice* to give it an extra holiday hint)
40 gr margarine/ vegan butter (or sub regular butter if you prefer that)
15 gr flavored coconut sugar (mix 14 gr of (coconut) sugar with 1 tsp of orange or lemon zest and preferably refrigerate overnight)(you can also just use plain sugar)
60 gr pecans (broken in half of roughly chopped)(or usb other nuts)
60 gr dried cranberries (soaked)(or use other dried fruit)

Optional:

20 gr melted (vegan) butter (for brushing on the bread)
powdered Stevia or Xylitol (or regular icing sugar for dusting the bread with)

Instructions

Almond paste:

When using dates: start by chopping up the dates in a high speed blender (a food processor). Once it becomes a paste transfer it to a mixing bowl and add almond meal and lemon zest. Knead until everything is combined and roll it out into a sausage a little shorter than the length of your Christmas bread (approx. 10-11 inches/ 25-27 cm). Roll it in plastic wrap and leave it overnight in the refrigerator. It will actually keep for over a week and the taste will develop so making it ahead of time is not a bad thing at all!
When using honey instead of dates you can skip the food processor step and immediately add honey, almond meal and zest to a mixing bowl.

Flavored sugar:

I usually make this at the same time I make the almond paste. It is nothing more that combine sugar and zest and storing it in a container in the refrigerator where the flavors can develop. When pressed for time (or if you forgot) you can skip this step and just use sugar and zest.

Soaking the dried fruit:

To soften the dried fruit a bit, soak them in warm water for 15 minutes. Either do this the night before and leave them in the sieve over a glass to catch the water or drain the water and immediately dry them off with a towel. If you are pressed for time, you can skip this step.

Bread:

To develop the yeast, combine half of the whole wheat flour, yeast, egg yolk and the milk in a mixing bowl using a large wooden spoon. Let it rest for 20 minutes.
Now add the rest of the ingredients except for the dried fruit and nuts. So the rest of the whole wheat flour, almond flour salt, cinnamon or gingerbread spice, butter and sugar. Knead the dough by repeatedly stretching it out until it is smooth and velvety. It is ok if it is still a bit sticky.
Put it back into the mixing bowl and cover it with a tea towel for another 20 minutes.
Add the cranberries and pecans to the dough. Punch down the dough and make it flat. Place the dried fruit and nuts on top and roll up the dough. By doing this you make sure the add-ins are enclosed in the dough and will mostly be on the inside and not sticking out (too much) on the outside.
Put the dough back into the mixing bowl, cover it with the tea towel and let it rise for another 20 minutes.
With a rolling pin roll out the dough. The dough should have a dimension of approximately 14x10 inches/ 35x25 cm. Now it is time to incorporate the almond paste. Make sure the edges of the rolled out dough are slightly thicker than the center. I will tell you why in a second. First place the almond paste sausage in the middle of the dough, then fold over the dough and make sure the 2 thicker sides are touching each other (so don't place the edges on top of each other, but in front of one another).
Now press down on the dough between were the almond paste is and the thicker part of the dough.
Now place the bread on a greased and lightly floured baking tray so you don't have to move or touch it anymore.
Cover it with a tea towel and let it rise for 45-60 minutes. You can check if the dough has risen enough by making a light dent in the dough with your finger. If the dent disappears your dough isn't ready yet and you will have to give it another 15 minutes.
During the last rise, preheat the oven to 380F/190C.
Slide the bread in the oven and bake it for 35 minutes. If you notice in the end it is getting too dark, lower the heat to 160C.
Let the bread cool off for a few minutes before brushing it with some melted butter ( optional) to let it shine.
When it is cooled off completely you can dust it with powdered sugar/xylitol for a snowy effect (also optional)

Notes

*gingerbread spice mix

Nutritional information:

the information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist's advice.