ADVENT CALENDAR December 21st - Festive Yeast Bread

The recipe for this bread is based on one my family has been making for decades. It is easy to make, although it takes a long time...

Festive Yeast Bread

Mix 2 c white flour and 2 c whole wheat flour. Make a well in the center and crumble in some yeast. Alternately  you can use one package active dry yeast.

 

Add a little sugar to the yeast and 1/2 c warm, not hot, water (not warmer than 98°F).

 

Let this "work" till it is quite bubbly.

 

 

 

Add 1/2 t ginger, 2 t cardamom, 1/4 c sugar or agave nectar and a pinch of salt.

 

 

 

 

Slowly add enough slightly warmed milk - or soy milk - to dampen the flour. Knead till it forms a springy, elastic dough. If you have added too much milk, add a little flour. You can do this back and forth a couple of times, but not too often! Form into a ball, leave in the bowl and cover with a clean dish cloth. This needs to rest until it has doubled in size. Then punch down and let rest again till doubled. Repeat once more. Letting the dough rise three times gives this a nice texture.

 

 

While the dough is rising,

 

chop some good chocolate.

 

 

 

 

 Now it's time for your candied lemon and orange peel.

 

Finely chop some of it

 

and

 

 add to the chopped chocolate. Set aside.

 

 

When the dough has risen for the third time, dump it out on the counter and flatten it. Ideally you will not need any more flour now. If it is too sticky though, dust the counter with flour first. Then spread  the chocolate and the candied peel over the flattened dough. Fold up and knead gently to incorporate the chocolate and candied peel in the dough.

Shape into a round loaf and place on greased cookie sheet. Score three times. Let rise once more, till doubled in size. Then bake at 350°F (180°C) till nice and brown all over. After 1/2 an hour of baking time, brush all over with water, return to oven quickly. Repeat after 5 minutes. Baking time is about 45 minutes. To test for doneness, tap against it. If it makes a hollow sound top and bottom, it is done.

 

 This made a big loaf, which I am happy to share with you! 

 

You can play with this. I have not done it with chocolate before - and you can leave it out. You can add more candied peel, or chopped maraschino cherries. Maybe you would like some raisins! You could also add chopped nuts. My version contains no added butter or margarine. If you would like some, melt it, let cool a little and then mix in with the warmed milk.

If you add enough  shortening, chopped nuts and candied peel this will be a lot like Stollen, a traditional cake eaten at Christmas in Germany. To make it into Stollen shape small, oval loaves. When baked, brush with melted butter or margarine and dust very thickly with powdered sugar. If you are into Marzipan, shape a log about 1 inch thick and lay on a flattened piece of dough, a little off-center. Fold the shorter side over the Marzipan log. This will look a little as though you have wrapped the marzipan in a blanket. Tradition has it that the nuns in the monasteries baked their sweet bread at Christmas in this shape to remember the babe in swaddling clothes. 

I actually prefer the plainer version, no shortening, with some candied peel and chopped nuts, nothing on top and no Marzipan.  I would rather have that chocolate covered...

This tastes better the next day. Keep in a tightly closed container or wrap in plastic so it stays moist. 

Enjoy!

 

Let's look at the Advent Calendar... Number 21... 

 

 Mama is baking cookies! Can you smell them?

 

 Have a magical day!