Traditional Holiday Bread
We honor certain traditions each year to make the holidays special: Advent calendars, Elf on the Shelf, Visiting a local Light Show, Cookie Exchanges, Christmas Eve Service. One of those traditions is to serve piping hot fresh-made bread on Christmas morning. Last year after all the presents had been open, we sat around in our fuzzy jammies and ate hot sticky Drunken Monkey Bread with a cream cheese scramble and grapefruit mimosas. This year I have something else in mind. Something with chocolate-cinnamon layers and yeasty dough twisted into delicate folds. Something that looks lovely sitting out on the table… A Chocolate Cinnamon Bread Wreath.
Chocolate Wreath Notes
This chocolate cinnamon bread variation, not only looks lovely, its tastes divine. Similar to Pain au Chocolat with a softer texture and zesty spices layered throughout, it is a wonderful celebration bread! Because bread needs time to rise, you could make this a day ahead and rewarm on Christmas morning. Or, you could make it several days (even weeks) ahead and freeze before the second rise. Then, place it in the fridge to thaw the night before serving, and give it a few more minutes to rise on the counter before baking for fresh-out-of-the-oven bread. This recipe calls for all purpose flour, not bread flour, so the layers stay nice and tender. Yet anytime I’m making bread I use Gold Medal Flour, because I’ve found the consistency is always right on the money. Gold Medal’s super-fine milled flour helps the bread rise into fluffy loaves.
To Make a Chocolate Wreath
Prepare the bread dough and let it rise until double in size. Roll in out, spread with Nutella, and sprinkle with brown sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg. Then roll into a giant log. Cut the log down the middle and “braid” the two pieces into one log twist. Shape into a circle and tuck the ends under. This is where you would freeze, if you were making this chocolate cinnamon bread wreaths ahead. Freeze it uncovered for 2 -3 hours, then wrap well and refreeze until ready to thaw. The ooohs and ahhhs on Christmas morning are well worth planning ahead for this one. You could even make several to send to friends and neighbors for their Christmas breakfast!
More Christmas Breakfast Ideas
Drunken Monkey Bread Pumpkin Pull Apart Bread White Chocolate Glazed Gingerbread Muffins Breakfast Stuffed Poblano Peppers Corned Beef Hash with Creamy Horseradish Sauce Breakfast Fruit Pizza Breakfast Tostadas (Tostados) Starbucks Cheese Danish Deep Dish Vegetarian Quiche
Disclosure: This post is sponsored by Gold Medal Flour. All opinions are my own. Share This Recipe With Friends!
