“If thou tastest a crust of bread, thou tastest all the stars and all the heavens.”
--Robert Browning
and in this case, all the stars are the almonds and all the heavens are the cinnamon and lemon zest, that have flavored this wonderful looking ring shaped Holiday Bread - this month's theme for the Twelve Loaves Challenge.
When we were given Holiday Bread as this month's theme, I was sure that I wanted to use almonds and cinnamon, two of the most perfect ingredients to be enjoyed in a Holiday Bread with your family and friends. Luckily, I came across this recipe which makes a spectacular looking bread that will work as a perfect center piece on your dinner table. This almond brittle topped bread is traditionally an Italian one and is said to represent the unity of the family.
During baking, the bread is covered with aluminium foil to prevent the almonds from getting burnt. However, I got lost in watching TV and was late to cover the dough. The almonds turned black, but I still ate all of them. They weren't tasting much burnt actually ;)
The dough of this bread is quite enriched with the inclusion of eggs, sugar, butter, lemon zest and milk and is therefore a little on the denser side. All these ingredients especially the lemon zest gives this bread a memorable flavor that you will thoroughly enjoy. Just before baking the bread, it is brushed with a mixture of egg yolk, cinnamon, sugar and toasted almonds. I had to toast the almonds twice since I had eaten almost half of what I had to use in the recipe, they are so addictive! With your kitchen filling up with the warmth and aroma of freshly baked cinnamon, how can you forget...it's HOLIDAY TIME!!!
Recipe Source: Bread by Eric Treuille and Ursula Ferrigno
Makes one medium size loaf
Ingredients
For the Dough
500 grams / 17 ounces bread flour or strong white flour
1 plus 1/2 teaspoons regular salt
100 grams / 3.5 ounces granulated sugar
zest of 2 lemons (about a tablespoon)
1 plus 1/2 teaspoons instant dry yeast
100 grams / 3.5 ounces unsalted butter at room temperature
2 medium eggs, beaten and at room temperature
85 ml / 3fl ounces milk at room temperature
85ml to 100 ml / 3fl to 3.5fl ounces water at room temperature (the amount of water you need depends on your flour's absorbency)
For the Topping
1 very small egg yolk
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon granulated sugar
50 grams / 1.5 ounces almonds(blanched or not, your choice) toasted and roughly chopped
Method
In the bowl of a stand mixer, mix together the bread flour, lemon zest, sugar and salt. Add the yeast and mix. Now add the butter, eggs, milk and 85 ml water and mix. Knead the dough using the dough hook, first on the minimum speed until the dough starts to form( If the dough feels hard, add a little water at a time, until you get a soft and somewhat sticky dough) and then on speed 1 until you get a soft and elastic dough. You can knead the dough by hand as well if you want to.
Lightly oil a large bowl and rotate the dough in the bowl so as to coat the dough with oil. Cover the bowl with a cling film and let it rest at room temperature until the dough has doubled in size, about 3 and 1/2 to 4 hrs.
Knock back the dough and then leave to rest covered with a tea towel or a cling film for 10 mins.
Divide the dough into two equal pieces and roll each piece into a 24 inches / 60 cms long rope. Twist the two ropes together.
Place the shaped dough rope on a parchment lined baking sheet. Shape into a ring by bringing the two ends of the rope together. Pinch them to seal and cover with a tea towel or a cling film . Prove until doubled in size, about 1 and 1/2 to 2 hrs.
Preheat the oven to 220 degrees C / 400 degrees F. To make the topping, mix all the ingredients in a bowl and using a spatula, spread the mixture evenly over the top of the ring dough. Bake in the preheated oven until the bread sounds hollow when tapped at the bottom with your knuckles, about 45 mins. Keep an eye on the bread while it's baking. As soon as the almonds have turned sufficiently dark, cover the bread loosely with aluminum foil until completely baked.
Place the bread on a wire rack to cool completely.
- Cinnamon Pull-Apart Coffee Cake by Liz at That Skinny Chick Can Bake
- Cranberry Apple Cinnamon Rolls by Dionne at Try Anything Once Culinary
- Cranberry Orange Scones by Renee at Kudos Kitchen by Renee
- Crunchy Almond Holiday Bread by Paula at Vintage Kitchen Notes
- Holiday Breakfast Wreath by Lora at Cake Duchess
- Mini Toffee Banana Bread with Caramel Sauce by Holly at A Baker's House
- Nut Brittle Topped Holiday Bread by Deepti at BakingYummies
- Pandoro by Karen at Karen's Kitchen Stories
- Stollen by Renee at Magnolia Days
#TwelveLoaves-Holiday Breads. November was a delightful month of spice breads. December #TwelveLoaves is here and we are celebrating Holidays! Share your December Holiday Bread (yeast or quick bread). Let's get baking!
If you’d like to add your bread to the collection with
the Linky Tool this month, here’s what you need to do!
1. When you post your
Twelve Loaves bread on your blog, make sure that you mention the
Twelve Loaves challenge in your blog post; this helps us to get more members as
well as share everyone's posts. Please make sure that your bread is inspired by
the theme!
2. Please link your
post to the linky tool at the bottom of my blog. It must be a bread baked to
the Twelve Loaves theme.
3. Have your Twelve
Loaves bread that you baked this
December, 2013, and posted on your blog by December 31, 2013.
Deepti, I think we made the same type of bread this month! That crunchy almond topping is fantastic! And the book you used, I need to start go through it again. For some reason I hardly used it since I bought it ages ago, but has wonderful recipes. Thanks for baking with us this month!
ReplyDeleteYeah looks like.. :) Oh yes! the almond topping tastes really really good. I'm thoroughly enjoying the Twelve Loaves experience, so thanks for that!
DeleteGreat idea with the topping-- it makes this bread worthy of a special occasion and it would be wonderful to share with the family on Christmas morning.
ReplyDeleteThank you Holly :)
Deleteoh yes i love to have it right now.
ReplyDeleteThank you Candy.
DeleteI've had those times where I got distracted and something I was baking got a little on the dark side. It's all good (unless it catches fire - which I did catch my oven on fire one time). Anyway, nice bread for the holiday season.
ReplyDeleteI hope this never happens with me, I'm going to be extra careful now and thank you
DeleteI love this beautiful wreath of a bread! And topped with almond brittle? It sounds amazing!!! Perfect for the holidays :)
ReplyDeleteThanks Liz
DeleteYou just can't beat cinnamon and sugar for the holiday season. Nothing beats it! You've made a very lovely holiday bread (even if the almonds are a little dark) it just adds to the contrast of colors and textures :)
ReplyDeleteRenee - Kudos Kitchen
Thank you Renee, yeah I was a little worried about how the almonds would look in photographs and thankfully thay aren't looking that bad :)
DeleteThat almond topping sounds so yummy. I know what you mean about getting involved in other things. I have to carry a timer around with me when I am baking or I will forget and burn everything!
ReplyDeleteRight Karen, the almond topping does taste yummy. In fact, it's the best part about this bread. I think I should get a timer as well.
Delete