Raspberry Bread Wreath

We’re all used to seeing holiday wreaths adorn the front door of homes this time of year, right?

Well, how many of  you have seen a holiday wreath on your dinner table?

Of course, this gorgeous wreath is edible and it’s a whole lot easier to make than it may look.

I first spotted this gorgeous wreath in the pages of Donna Hay magazine a few years ago and always wanted to make it.

This is definitely a more savory bread than a sweet bread and it also has a thick texture.  It looks terrific sitting next to a dish of cranberry sauce.

To make it, you’ll need need grated orange peel and fresh currants (which are like raisins).

I just used an apple peeler to remove the orange rind and then grated it in the food processor for a super fine chop.

I’m walking you through the basics now but you can also print a copy of the full recipe a little further down in this post.

Mix the ingredients to form the dough, set aside, cover and allow to rise.

NOTE: The original recipe called for only 2 tablespoons of sugar and I found the bread not as sweet as I preferred.  I increased the amount of sugar to 1/4-cup.

To make the filling, add sugar to the frozen raspberries and cook over medium heat, stirring frequently until sugar has completely dissolved.

Remove from heat and allow to cool.

Roll the dough into into a rectangle, and spread the raspberry filling onto the dough.

NOTE: I’ve made this twice now. The first time I made this, I felt compelled to use all of the filling. It ended up running out of the dough log and made a total mess. I suggest you spread the filling but don’t overfill. Don’t be afraid to have some left over.

Carefully, roll the raspberry-filled dough into a log.

Use a sharp knife to cut the log in half, down the center from one end of the log to the other.

Once you cut the dough, the soft ribbons will be revealed.

Handle with care because the dough is very soft and I found it a little hard to control throughout these next few steps.

Press two ends of the cut dough together and then, gently start to twist one section over the other to create the wreath.

Make sure the ribbons remain facing upward as your twisting.

My kids said this next step looked a little like some kind of surgery (sigh!)… but you know this gets better looking after oven time.

Print

Raspberry Wreath

Prep Time

1 hr 40 mins

Cook Time

20 mins

Total Time

2 hrs

 

Gorgeous and savory bread in the festive shape of a wreath. Easy to make and lovely to display on your holiday table.

Servings: 8 -12

Author: Adapted from Donna Hay Magazine

Ingredients

• 1 teaspoon active dry yeast
• 2 tablespoons
• 1/2 cup lukewarm water
• 1-1/2 tablespoons warm milk
• 1-1/2 tbsp vegetable oil
• 1-1/2 cups all purpose flour
• 1-1/2 cup currants or chopped cranberries
• 1 tablespoon finely grated orange rind
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• Milk for brushing dough
• Raw sugar for sprinkling
• 200 grams frozen raspberries
• Two-thirds cup superfine sugar

Instructions

1. Combine yeast, sugar, water and milk. Set aside for 5 minuets until foamy. Place flour, oil, currants, orange rind and cinnamon in a bowl. Add yeast mixture to form dough. Turn dough onto floured surface and knead until smooth. Place dough in a bowl, cover and allow to rest for about 1 hour, until dough doubles in size.
2. Preheat oven to 400-degrees.
3. To make raspberry filling, place the raspberries and sugar in a non-stick pan over high heat.
4. Stir until sugar is dissolved.
5. Bring to a boil, stir until reduced and thickened. Set aside to cool completely.
6. Roll dough out on a lightly floured surface and roll into a rectangle (about 8" X 16").
7. Spread cooled raspberry filling across dough. You may not need to use all of the filling.
8. Carefully roll the dough into a log.
9. Slice the rolled dough log in half, length-wise. This will create a ribbon-like effect.
10. Place both pieces on parchment paper-lined baking tray to begin twisting.
11. Pinch the two dough ends together and carefully twist each half over the other.
12. Make sure the raspberry filling ribbons are facing up as you twist and form a circle.
13. Lightly brush dough with milk to remove any evidence of flour.
14. Sprinkle with raw sugar and bake for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown.

Once the bread is baked, allow to cool and then adorn with a few festive touches.

A simple ribbon is enough too.

Just look at how pretty the ribbed dough turned out.

I remember when I first saw this recipe, I wondered how so many seemingly individual ribs were created.

At the time it looked pretty complicated.

As you can see, it’s pretty simple but be sure to keep that simplicity a secret.

Go ahead and let your guests think this was super hard to make.

Happy Holidays!

Thanks for stopping by.

See you back here next time. ♥

ve