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Raisin and Nut Wreath Bread

Add a festive touch to your holiday table with this stunning raisin and nut bread wreath. The technique of braiding the strands of dough is not as hard as you might think and the process creates an impressive visual effect.

Raisin and Nut Wreath Bread on a silver and gold plate with festive touches in background

This raisin and nut wreath bread is a recipe from the website for The Telegraph, a newspaper published in the United Kingdom. I enjoy their food section and love the British take on holiday foods.

Some traditions are similar to those in the U.S such as a roast turkey dinner with all the trimmings but others like Christmas pudding and fruitcake are stars on a British menu that are rarely given the same worth here.

This wreath bread would impress on either side of the Atlantic without a doubt. It can be a centerpiece for your table and looks stunning with some greenery and a candle in the middle.

Or serve it on a buffet with a small bowl of soft butter in the middle of the wreath so that the bread can be pulled off in small pieces then topped with butter or jam.

Can I use a variety of nuts in this bread wreath?

Use any type of nuts you’d like– pecans and walnuts would be nice– and switch out the raisins for dried cranberries or currants if you please.

Yield: 1 loaf

Raisin and Nut Wreath Bread

Raisin and Nut Wreath Bread

This raisin and nut wreath bread is a recipe from the website for The Telegraph, a newspaper published in the United Kingdom. I enjoy their food section and love the British take on holiday foods.

Prep Time 20 minutes
Additional Time 3 hours
Cook Time 40 minutes
Total Time 4 hours

Ingredients

  • 200g (7oz) raisins
  • 200g (7oz) walnut pieces (I used pecans)
  • 450ml (16fl oz) whole milk
  • 125g (4½oz) unsalted butter
  • 1 tbsp dried yeast
  • 500g (1lb 2oz) whole wheat flour
  • 250g (9oz) bread flour, plus extra for dusting
  • 100g (3½oz) granulated sugar
  • 1 Tablespoon salt
  • milk, to glaze

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and toast the chopped nuts for 5-7 minutes or until they are fragrant.
  2. Meanwhile, cover the raisins with boiling water (add two Tablespoons of rum if you'd like) and allow them to plump for 15 minutes. Drain them and set aside.
  3. Bring the milk to a simmer in a saucepan over medium heat. Cut the butter into small cubes. Once a thin skin forms, remove from the heat and add the butter. Transfer to a large bowl and leave to cool for about 30 minutes. The mixture should feel warm to the touch but not burning hot. Add the yeast and stir to dissolve.
  4. In a medium sized bowl add the wheat flour, bread flour, sugar and salt. Whisk gently to combine. Pour the wet ingredients into a stand mixer. Add half of the dry ingredients then add the raisins and nuts. Stir with a spoon before adding the remaining dry ingredients. Mix thoroughly with a wooden spoon then put your dough hook onto the stand mixer and let the mixer knead the bread for 5-8 minutes or until the bread is smooth.
  5. Spray a clean bowl with baking spray then turn the dough ball in the bowl a few times to coat all sides. Cover with plastic wrap also coated in baking spray and let the dough rise for about 2 hours.
  6. Remove the dough from the bowl and divide into three pieces. Roll into sticks about 80cm (30in) long and 5cm (2in) wide. Start to braid, leaving the top end of your pieces unattached at first so that you can weave them into your braid as you complete the circle, forming the wreath shape.
  7. Transfer the wreath to a large baking-tray. Cover with a clean tea towel and leave for 45 to 55 minutes.
  8. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
  9. Use a spray bottle to spritz the bread with water right after you put it in the oven and bake for 35 to 40 minutes. If it starts to brown too much, turn the temperature down to 325 degrees F. Five minutes before the end, brush with milk for a shiny glaze. Serve warm.

Notes

Recipe source: The Telegraph

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/foodanddrink/recipes/9736802/The-new-baker-Christmas-bread.html

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

20

Serving Size:

1 slice

Amount Per Serving: Calories: 318Total Fat: 14gSaturated Fat: 5gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 8gCholesterol: 17mgSodium: 337mgCarbohydrates: 45gFiber: 4gSugar: 14gProtein: 8g

This data is provided by Nutritionix and is an estimate only.

Did you make this recipe?

Please leave a comment on the blog or share a photo on Instagram

Maurizio

Tuesday 16th of December 2014

Wonderful looking bread right here! Walnuts are one of my favorite ingredients when baking bread -- have you considered tossing in some walnut oil as well? I've used this a number of times in my sourdough and it lends a very rich and complex taste.

Cant wait to try this out, thanks for the recipe!

Holly F

Tuesday 16th of December 2014

Thanks for the suggestion- I used walnut oil at a cooking class earlier this year and liked it in a salad dressing. Adding it to a bread dough didn't occur to me and I look forward to trying it. Thanks!

Lora @cakeduchess

Thursday 4th of December 2014

Such a gorgeous wreath bread, Holly! It is so elegant and lovely for a holiday centerpiece! I love to look at British recipes...and I always say I'll try something new for the holidays and never get to to it;) Thank you for being a part of our Holiday Breads theme!!

Karen Harris

Wednesday 3rd of December 2014

I agree with all your other comments. This wreath is beautiful!

Holly F

Wednesday 3rd of December 2014

Oh thanks, Karen. I have a long way to go learning about the dough and how to have the right mix of flours and hydration-- the crust on this bread looked awfully dry but it still tasted good and inside was soft and tender. It's fun experimenting!

Karen @ Karen's Kitchen Stories

Tuesday 2nd of December 2014

Beautiful loaf Holly! Your braid is stunning! I'm going to have to check out the Telegraph!

Holly F

Wednesday 3rd of December 2014

Thanks, Karen, yes I like the food perspective in the Telegraph. Often I'll notice my husband has conveniently left the computer open to a webpage with an English recipe hoping I'll like the look of it and make it for him!

Anne@FromMySweetHeart

Tuesday 2nd of December 2014

Holly....this wreath is just beautiful! I love that you can switch out any combination of nuts and fruits. This certainly would be the star of my holiday table! Lovely photos! : )

Holly F

Wednesday 3rd of December 2014

Thanks, Anne!

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