Christmas Bread
Prep
60 min
Bake
30 min
Total time
1 hr 30 min
Hydration
60%
A braided Christmas bread made from a rich, lightly sweetened freshly milled hard white wheat dough scented with cardamom and orange zest. Egg-washed to a deep mahogany, sprinkled with pearl sugar.
Key Takeaways
- Two egg wash applications give the deepest mahogany crust.
- Pearl sugar goes on at the second wash so it sticks but doesn't burn.
- Bake to 195°F — over-baking dries the rich dough fast.
- A 4-strand braid is the most striking; 3-strand also works.
- Best fresh; toast leftovers and serve with butter or jam.
About this recipe
This braided Christmas bread is a centerpiece loaf — slightly sweet, lightly spiced, beautifully shaped, and welcome on any holiday table. Less assertive than stollen, more polished than dinner rolls, it splits the difference and pairs equally well with breakfast butter and Christmas dinner. The dough is a classic enriched bread: milk, eggs, butter, sugar. Cardamom and orange zest provide a holiday warmth without being overpowering. A 4-strand braid sounds intimidating but is genuinely simple — see the step-by-step instructions. Brush twice with egg wash for the deepest, most golden crust, and finish with pearl sugar for festive crunch.
Ingredients
- Freshly milled hard white wheat flour500 g
- Whole milk (warm)240 g
- Sugar70 g
- Instant yeast7 g
- Eggs2 large
- Softened butter80 g
- Fine sea salt8 g
- Ground cardamom5 g (2 tsp)
- Zest of 1 orange
- Egg wash: 1 egg + 1 tbsp water
- Pearl sugar for finishing30 g
Instructions
- 1
Whisk warm milk, sugar, yeast, and eggs in a stand mixer bowl.
- 2
Add flour, salt, cardamom, and orange zest. Mix shaggy.
- 3
Knead 5 minutes. Add butter and knead 6 more minutes until smooth and slightly tacky.
- 4
Bulk ferment 90 minutes until doubled.
- 5
Turn out, divide into 4 equal pieces. Roll each into a 14-inch strand.
- 6
Lay all 4 strands parallel on parchment. Pinch the tops together.
- 7
Number strands 1-2-3-4 left to right. Move strand 4 over strand 2 (4 becomes 2). Move strand 1 over strand 3 (1 becomes 3). Move new strand 2 over new strand 3. Repeat from the beginning until braided. (Pattern: outside-over-2-in. From the right then from the left, alternating.)
- 8
Tuck the ends under.
- 9
Cover loosely and proof 60–75 minutes until visibly puffed.
- 10
Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C).
- 11
Brush thoroughly with egg wash.
- 12
Bake 10 minutes, brush with egg wash again, sprinkle with pearl sugar, and continue baking 18–22 more minutes (internal 195°F).
- 13
Cool on a rack 20 minutes before slicing.
home grain milling tutorial — hydration, gluten development, and grain choice tips that make this recipe work.
Learn about this grain: Hard White Wheat guide — flavor, milling notes, baking tips, and four in-depth guides on hydration, storage, and common mistakes. Or browse more Hard White Wheat recipes.
Learn a technique
All guides →- Bulk Fermentation with Fresh-Milled FlourFresh-milled flour ferments faster than commercial flour. Watch the dough, not the clock, and end bulk fermentation when volume has grown 50–75%.
- How To Build Gluten With Fresh Milled FlourGluten development in fresh-milled flour is a different craft than in commercial white flour. White-flour doughs love aggressive kneading, slap-and-folds, and stand mixers on high — the smooth endosperm forms long uninterrupted gluten strands quickly. Fresh-milled flour cannot work that way because the bran physically interrupts every gluten strand it touches. The bakers who get gorgeous open crumb out of fresh flour all do the same thing: hydrate fully, rest patiently, fold gently, and choose the right grain. This guide walks through the science and the technique.
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Fresh-milled flour ferments faster than commercial flour. Watch the dough, not the clock, and end bulk fermentation when volume has grown 50–75%.
How To Build Gluten With Fresh Milled Flour
Gluten development in fresh-milled flour is a different craft than in commercial white flour. White-flour doughs love aggressive kneading, slap-and-folds, and stand mixers on high — the smooth endosperm forms long uninterrupted gluten strands quickly. Fresh-milled flour cannot work that way because the bran physically interrupts every gluten strand it touches. The bakers who get gorgeous open crumb out of fresh flour all do the same thing: hydrate fully, rest patiently, fold gently, and choose the right grain. This guide walks through the science and the technique.