Traditional Christmas and Holiday Breads from Around the World
Whether you love food, or love to bake, or just someone who loves having fun in the kitchen, there is no doubt that Christmas time is something to look forward to when it comes to baking. One glance in any grocery store, and it's easy to see why. From trays upon trays of cookies and singles, pies, cakes, and cupcakes that are covered in Christmas colours and sprinkles galore, there is no shortage of things to bake during the holidays.
The smell of fresh, hot bread baking in the oven is music to any baker's ears. From shortbread to challah, from sweet brioche to classic baguettes. There are more varieties of bread out there than you could imagine! Christmas bread is often more decorative and has celebratory qualities. Such as the Bulgarian Christmas Bread that symbolizes prosperity for the upcoming year. Other classic Christmas bread from around the World include Panettone or Stollen, filled with fruits and nuts.
Let's see some of the Christmas Breads around the World:
Stollen bread has been a German holiday tradition for centuries. Its origins date to 13th century Germany, and it is now popular around the World. A sweet bread with dried fruits and candied orange and citron zests. Stollen get its rectangular shape from three baking pans and its gently spiced aroma. The rich flavour from rum-soaked dried fruit and myriad spices: cinnamon, clove, cardamom, anise seed, ginger, nutmeg, lemon peel and orange peel. Let the flavours mingle for several days before slicing thinly to serve warm or at room temperature as a dessert or midmorning.
For best results, allow Stollen Bread dough to rise at room temperature for 4 hours. Bake in an oven preheated to 350°F for approximately 35 minutes, or until tops are golden brown. Make-ahead tip: Stollen keeps well on the countertop for 3 days. Rewarm stollen on a baking sheet in a 250°F oven for 12-15 minutes, or until warmed through.
Try this tasty Krendel Christmas Bread recipe! It's an important Russian tradition to have this during the holiday season. Ideally, you want to allow plenty of time for the dough to rise, so it has a nice, soft texture with a delicious filling of pears, apples, cherries, honey and nuts. If your kitchen is cool, you may need more time for it to properly rise.
Link: https://thebrookpub.co.uk/traditional-christmas-and-holiday-breads-from-around-the-world/
