Best 7 Braided Wreath Bread Recipes

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When it comes to sweet bread, braided wreath bread is a classic for good reason. With its rich, buttery flavor and beautiful wreath shape, it's the perfect centerpiece for any holiday gathering or special occasion. Whether you're a seasoned baker or a beginner looking to try something new, this step-by-step guide will help you create a stunning and delicious braided wreath bread that's sure to impress your friends and family.

Check out the recipes below so you can choose the best recipe for yourself!

BRAIDED WREATH BREAD



Braided Wreath Bread image

I make this attractive bread to celebrate Santa Lucia Day on December 13. This Swedish custom is the symbolic start of Christmas in Scandinavia, a festival of lights that brightens the short, dark days of winter. I position seven birthday candle holders in my braided loaf before adding candles to prevent wax from melting on top of the bread.

Provided by Taste of Home

Time 1h

Yield 12 servings.

Number Of Ingredients 12

1 package (1/4 ounce) active dry yeast
1/4 cup warm water (110° to 115°)
1/3 cup warm 2% milk (110° to 115°)
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup butter, cubed
1 large egg
1 teaspoon grated orange zest
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon orange extract
2-1/2 to 3 cups all-purpose flour
GLAZE:
1 large egg

Steps:

  • In a large bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water. Add the milk, sugar, butter, 1 egg, orange zest, salt, extract and 1 cup flour; beat until smooth. Stir in enough remaining flour to form a soft dough. , Turn onto a floured surface; knead until smooth and elastic, about 6-8 minutes. Place in a greased bowl, turning once to grease top. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1 hour., Punch dough down; divide into thirds. Roll each portion into a 20-in. rope. Braid the ropes; shape into a wreath and pinch ends to seal. Place on a greased baking sheet. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 45 minutes., For glaze, beat egg; lightly brush over dough. Bake at 350° for 30-35 minutes or until golden brown. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pan to a wire rack to cool.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 164 calories, Fat 5g fat (3g saturated fat), Cholesterol 47mg cholesterol, Sodium 152mg sodium, Carbohydrate 25g carbohydrate (5g sugars, Fiber 1g fiber), Protein 4g protein.

THANKSGIVING BRAIDED BREAD WREATH RECIPE



Thanksgiving Braided Bread Wreath Recipe image

This braided bread wreath is chewy from a long, slow rise in the fridge and is redolent with fall flavors, thanks to a healthy dose of poultry seasoning in the dough. Wow your Thanksgiving guests with a bread wreath that is as beautiful as it is delicious! All ounce measurements, including liquids, are by weight, not volume.

Provided by onlinepastrychef

Categories     Bread and Rolls Recipes

Time 18h50m

Number Of Ingredients 11

15 oz bread flour
9.75 oz cool water
1 Tablespoon sugar, (I used palm sugar. Brown sugar or white would work as well)
1 1/2 Tablespoons (4 1/2 teaspoons) extra virgin olive oil
1 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
2 teaspoons active dry yeast
2 teaspoons poultry seasoning, (get the coarser kind that looks like tiny flakes--not the ground kind--if you can find it)
1/2 teaspoon turmeric, (for yellow leaves)
1/2 teaspoon paprika, (for orange leaves)
1 egg beaten with 1 teaspoon water for egg wash
optional rosemary sprigs for "pine boughs"

Steps:

  • In the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with the dough hook, mix together the flour, water and sugar until it comes together into a soft dough. Cover and let sit for twenty minutes if you have time. If not, keep on going.
  • Add the olive oil, salt, yeast, and poultry seasoning to your mixer bowl and continue to mix until all the ingredients are evenly distributed.
  • Knead on medium-low speed for about 10 minutes until the dough is smooth and elastic. The dough should completely clear the sides and the bottom of your mixing bowl. If the dough sticks a bit in the bottom, add a small amount of flour (1 tablespoon or so) and continue kneading another couple of minutes.
  • Once the dough is smooth and stretchy, oil your hands and gather the dough into a ball.
  • Plop the ball back in the mixing bowl, spray lightly with pan spray or brush with some olive oil and allow to rise in a warm place until at least doubled, about 3 hours. Dough should be very light and airy.
  • Evenly press all the gases out of the dough and place back in the mixer bowl. Oil or spray the top again, cover the bowl with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 8 hours or overnight.
  • Remove the dough from the fridge and press out any gases that have built up in it.
  • Portion out 5 4oz pieces of dough. Cut the remaining dough into 3 equal pieces. These pieces will be smaller and are for the leaves and pinecone.
  • Shape the 5 pieces of dough into smooth balls. Take one of the dough balls and roll it out on the counter until you have a very short and fat snake.
  • Set aside and do the same with each of the other four balls.
  • Keep rolling them a bit longer, one at a time in succession, until all five balls have magically turned into ropes about 3 feet long.
  • You can also make them shorter for a smaller wreath or even just braid them as a straight loaf. Totally your call. The reason why you're working with each piece in succession is that short rest while you're working with the other ones allows the gluten to relax enough to roll them out a bit longer with each turn. It took me a good five turns of rolling each one before I liked the length.
  • Pinch the ends of the five ropes together at one end.
  • Position the strands so you have two on one side of the work space and three on the other. (See Video, above and embedded in the recipe card).
  • The two sets of strands should be at about a 45 degree angle from each other.
  • Take the outside strand on the side with three and move it across his two friends to end up next to the two strands on the other side.
  • Now that side has three strands and the other has two.
  • Move the outside strand on that side across his two friends to end up next to the two strands on the original side.
  • Keep braiding like that, keeping the angle between the two sets of strands as consistent as possible so the braid is uniform, until you get to the end. (Again, see video for a visual of this.)
  • PInch the five ends together at the far end, and then form them into a ring.
  • Pinch the ends together where they meet. That part won't be gorgeous, but that's okay because we're going to cover them with dough leaves.
  • Place the wreath on a parchment-lined pan (I turned a half sheet pan upside down so my wreath wouldn't get messed up if it started pressing against the sides. If you have a flat cookie sheet, that will work as well.
  • Knead the turmeric into one of the remaining balls of dough as well as you can.
  • Do the same with the paprika to another of them.
  • Knead a bit of cocoa powder into the third ball if you want your pinecone to be brown. I left mine natural, so it's your call.
  • Roll the yellow and orange dough out very thin. You should not need to flour or oil your work surface. This dough is very easy to work with.
  • Use cookie cutters to cut out leaf shapes. If you don't have leaf cutters, heart and star cutters will work because once you cut them out, you can pull on the shapes to make them more leaf-like. A third option is to just free-hand it all. That's what I did, and it worked out just fine. I cut out leaf shapes with a sharp paring knife.
  • Use a bit of water to "glue" the leaves Artfully onto your wreath. You can go all the way around or stay in one place like I did. You can make your leaves bigger or smaller. Go crazy!
  • For the pine
  • cone/s, form small egg shapes and stick them where you want them.
  • My guys slumped a bit, so I would probably add more flour to the third ball of dough the next time.
  • Take scissors and snip into the dough at regular intervals to simulate the...petals? What are those called? If nobody has any issues with nuts, you can also use sliced almonds to simulate the petal things. Just shove them into the dough eggs so they look like pinecones.
  • Spray the finished bread lightly with pan spray, cover and refrigerate for 6 hours.
  • Remove the dough from the fridge. It won't look too much different than it did when you put it in there in the first place, but it has been sneakily developing flavor.
  • Let rise in a warm place in your kitchen while you preheat the oven for an hour.
  • Place a baking stone on the center rack and preheat to 350F.
  • At the end of the hour, brush the whole loaf with the egg wash and transfer the bread--still on the parchment--to the baking stone.
  • Bake for 15 minutes. Rotate the pan and bake another 10-15 minutes or until the internal temperature of the bread is 200F-205F.
  • If your bread isn't as brown as you'd like (mine wasn't), put it under the broiler--watching carefully--for a couple of minutes.
  • Remove to a rack to cool.
  • Wash and some small rosemary sprigs and poke them into the bread (artfully, of course) around the pinecones.
  • Use as part of your Thanksgiving table centerpiece and then pass to share.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 163 calories, Carbohydrate 27 grams carbohydrates, Cholesterol 31 milligrams cholesterol, Fat 3 grams fat, Fiber 1 grams fiber, Protein 6 grams protein, SaturatedFat 1 grams saturated fat, ServingSize 1, Sodium 234 milligrams sodium, Sugar 1 grams sugar, TransFat 0 grams trans fat, UnsaturatedFat 2 grams unsaturated fat

BRAIDED BREAD WREATH



Braided Bread Wreath image

Provided by Sandra Lee

Categories     appetizer

Time 2h

Yield 12 servings

Number Of Ingredients 11

Cornmeal, for dusting
Flour, for work surface and dusting
3 (1-pound) bags refrigerated pizza dough, at room temperature
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons chopped garlic
2 teaspoons paprika
1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
1/4 cup shredded Parmesan
1 egg
2 tablespoons water
Coarse salt

Steps:

  • Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Line a sheet pan with parchment and sprinkle with a thin layer of cornmeal.
  • On a floured work surface, roll out the 3 dough portions into 3 long ropes. Line the 3 ropes up next to each other with the top ends overlapping and the bottom ends about 3 inches apart. Pinch the top ends. Braid the ropes together; pull the left section over to the center, then hold the old center section with your left hand and pull it to the side. Finally, bring the right section over the center. Repeat the process, alternating sides, until the entire length of bread is braided. Join both ends to form a round wreath.
  • Transfer the dough wreath to the parchment lined sheet pan. Dust with flour, and cover with a kitchen towel. Let proof in a warm spot for 45 minutes.
  • In a small bowl mix together the olive oil, garlic, paprika, Italian seasoning, and cheese. Set aside. Beat the egg with the water in a small bowl, and set aside
  • Bake the bread wreath in the preheated oven for 40 minutes. Reduce the oven temperature to 350 degrees F. Remove the bread from the oven, and brush it with the olive oil mixture. Put it back in the oven, and bake it for an additional 20 minutes. In the last 10 minutes of baking, coat the entire wreath with the egg wash and sprinkle with coarse salt. Remove from the oven and serve hot.

BRAIDED FRUIT WREATH



Braided Fruit Wreath image

Provided by Food Network

Categories     dessert

Time 3h55m

Yield 2 wreaths

Number Of Ingredients 14

2 scant tablespoons or 2 (1/4-ounce) packages active dry yeast
1/2 cup warm water (about 110 degrees)
1 cup warm milk (about 110 degrees)
1/2 cup soft butter
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 tablespoons grated lemon rind
2 large eggs, beaten
2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon mace
4 1/2 to 5 1/2 cups unbleached flour
1 cup finely chopped hazelnuts
2 cups diced mixed candied fruits
2 cups powdered sugar
7 to 9 tablespoons heavy cream

Steps:

  • In a large bowl, stir yeast into water to soften. Add milk, butter, sugar, lemon rind, eggs, salt, mace, and 2 cups flour. Beat vigorously for 2 minutes.
  • Gradually add flour, 1/4 cup at a time, until the dough begins to pull away from the side of the bowl.
  • Turn dough out onto a floured work surface. Knead, adding flour a little at a time, until you have a smooth, elastic dough.
  • Put dough into an oiled bowl. Turn to coat the entire ball of dough with oil. Cover with a tightly woven towel and let rise until doubled, about 1 hour.
  • Turn dough out onto a lightly oiled work surface and divide in half. Using a rolling pin, roll half of the dough into a 22 by 9-inch rectangle. Cover and let rest 5 minutes on the work surface.
  • Cut the dough into three 22-inch long strips.
  • Mix the nuts and candied fruit. Fill the center of each strip with 1/2 cup of the nut and fruit mixture. Bring edges together and pinch to seal forming three 22-inch-long strands.
  • Lay the strands side-by-side on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Turn the baking sheet so the strands are facing lengthwise away from you. Starting in the center of the strands, place the right strand over the middle strand (the right strand has now become the middle strand), then the left strand over the middle, the right over the middle, left over the middle, etc. Continue this process until the strands are too short to braid. Do not pinch the end together.
  • To braid the other end of the loaf, turn the baking sheet around so that the unbraided portion is facing you. Place the middle strand over the right strand, then middle strand over the left, middle over the right, middle over the left, etc., until the ends are too short to braid. Join the ends of the braid to form a wreath, and pinch to seal. Repeat with the other half of the dough. Cover with a tightly woven towel and let rise until almost doubled, about 45 minutes.
  • About 10 minutes before baking, preheat oven to 375 degrees.
  • Bake for 25 minutes, or until the internal temperature of the loaf reaches 190 degrees.
  • Immediately remove bread from baking sheet and cool on a rack for 20 minutes.
  • Combine powdered sugar and cream. Mixture should be the consistency of honey (if it isn't, adjust by adding more cream to thin it or powdered sugar to thicken it). Drizzle over the top of each wreath.

BRAIDED EASTER EGG BREAD



Braided Easter Egg Bread image

This decorative Easter bread has whole eggs baked into it! Do not cook the whole eggs, as they will bake at the same time that the bread does. The eggs can also be dyed for extra color.

Provided by MARBALET

Categories     Bread     Yeast Bread Recipes

Time 3h

Yield 10

Number Of Ingredients 9

2 ½ cups all-purpose flour, divided
¼ cup white sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 (.25 ounce) package active dry yeast
⅔ cup milk
2 tablespoons butter
2 eggs
5 whole eggs, dyed if desired
2 tablespoons butter, melted

Steps:

  • In a large bowl, combine 1 cup flour, sugar, salt and yeast; stir well. Combine milk and butter in a small saucepan; heat until milk is warm and butter is softened but not melted.
  • Gradually add the milk and butter to the flour mixture; stirring constantly. Add two eggs and 1/2 cup flour; beat well. Add the remaining flour, 1/2 cup at a time, stirring well after each addition. When the dough has pulled together, turn it out onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic, about 8 minutes.
  • Lightly oil a large bowl, place the dough in the bowl and turn to coat with oil. Cover with a damp cloth and let rise in a warm place until doubled in volume, about 1 hour.
  • Deflate the dough and turn it out onto a lightly floured surface. Divide the dough into two equal size rounds; cover and let rest for 10 minutes. Roll each round into a long roll about 36 inches long and 1 1/2 inches thick. Using the two long pieces of dough, form a loosely braided ring, leaving spaces for the five colored eggs. Seal the ends of the ring together and use your fingers to slide the eggs between the braids of dough.
  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Place loaf on a buttered baking sheet and cover loosely with a damp towel. Place loaf in a warm place and let rise until doubled in bulk, about 45 minutes. Brush risen loaf with melted butter.
  • Bake in the preheated oven until golden brown, about 30 minutes.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 234.1 calories, Carbohydrate 30.1 g, Cholesterol 143.7 mg, Fat 8.7 g, Fiber 1 g, Protein 8.5 g, SaturatedFat 4.3 g, Sodium 321.9 mg, Sugar 6.1 g

GARLIC-HERB DINNER ROLL WREATH



Garlic-Herb Dinner Roll Wreath image

Give the idea of breaking bread a whole new meaning with this festive reimagining of classic Parker House Rolls. Place this stunner on the table and let family pull pieces off in a rustic fashion, or cut thick, even slices with a serrated knife.

Provided by Sarah Carey

Categories     Bread Recipes

Time 3h45m

Yield Serves 8 to 10

Number Of Ingredients 14

1/2 cup fresh parsley leaves
1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
1 garlic clove
1/3 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
1 1/2 teaspoons active dry yeast
1/4 cup warm water (110°F)
1 large egg
1/3 cup warm whole milk (110°F)
1 tablespoon sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt (we use Diamond Crystal)
2 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
5 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted, plus more for bowl

Steps:

  • For the Garlic-Herb Butter: In a food processor, combine parsley, thyme, garlic, and cheese and pulse until mixture has the texture of a paste. Add butter; pulse until fully combined and mixture has a vivid green color. Season with 1 teaspoon salt and freshly ground pepper to taste; pulse to incorporate. This can be made up to a week in advance and refrigerated in an airtight container. Return to room temperature before using.
  • For the Dough: Sprinkle yeast over water in a medium bowl. Let stand until foamy, about 5 minutes. Beat egg and add to bowl along with milk, sugar, salt, flour, and butter. Stir until a loose, slightly tacky dough forms (it will firm up when kneaded). Turn out onto a floured surface and knead until smooth and supple, about 5 minutes.
  • Transfer to a buttered bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and let stand in a warm, draft-free area until doubled in volume, about 1 hour. (Dough can be covered at this point and refrigerated up to 24 hours.)
  • To Assemble: Line a baking sheet with parchment. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Roll out to a 17-by-10-inch rectangle. Spread garlic-herb butter evenly over surface, all the way to edges. Starting at a long end, roll dough into a tight cylinder, pinching seam to seal. Transfer to baking sheet; refrigerate until firm, about 30 minutes.
  • Cut lengthwise through dough down center of log, leaving about 1/2 inch intact at one end; turn cut-sides up. Lift one length up and over the other; repeat with second length. Continue to overlap pieces to form a log. It should be about 22 inches long; if not, stretch it a bit to lengthen. Shape into a 9 1/2-inch-diameter circle, and pinch ends to seal.
  • Cover loosely with plastic; let stand until soft and nearly doubled in volume, about 30 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 375°F. Bake wreath until golden brown and baked through (internal temperature of about 200°), 25 to 30 minutes. Let cool on sheet on a wire rack about 15 minutes, then slide directly onto rack and let cool completely. Wreath is best enjoyed within 1 day; store tightly wrapped in plastic at room temperature.

PESTO BREAD WREATH RECIPE BY TASTY



Pesto Bread Wreath Recipe by Tasty image

Pillowy dough swirled with savory pesto and studded with sun-dried tomatoes makes this centerpiece bread not only beautiful to present, but also absolutely delicious. Make one (or two) for this season's holiday party and make sure to snag a slice for yourself before it disappears.

Provided by Tikeyah Whittle

Categories     Dinner

Time 4h20m

Yield 12 servings

Number Of Ingredients 19

½ cup warm milk
4 tablespoons granulated sugar, divided
2 teaspoons active dry yeast
3 ½ cups all purpose flour, plus more for dusting
1 ¾ teaspoons kosher salt
1 lemon
2 large eggs, beaten
1 stick unsalted butter, melted and cooled
nonstick cooking spray, for greasing
½ cup pepitas, toasted
3 oz fresh basil leaf
3 oz freshly grated parmesan cheese
1 teaspoon kosher salt
4 large cloves fresh garlic
1 lemon, small
⅓ cup extra virgin olive oil
4 oz cream cheese, softened
⅓ cup sun-dried tomatoes, minced
1 large egg, beaten

Steps:

  • Make the dough: In a small bowl, stir together the warm milk, 1 tablespoon of the sugar, and the yeast. Set aside until frothy, about 5 minutes.
  • In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, lemon zest, and remaining 3 tablespoons of sugar. Make a well in the center and pour in the yeast mixture, eggs, and melted butter. Use a wooden spoon to stir until a shaggy mass forms.
  • Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead until it springs back when pressed, 5-10 minutes. Shape the dough into a ball and place in a large bowl lightly greased with nonstick spray. Cover the bowl and place in a warm spot until the dough is doubled in size, about 90 minutes.
  • Meanwhile, make the pesto: In a blender, combine the pepitas, basil, Parmesan, salt, garlic, and lemon juice. Blend on medium speed until the ingredients are finely chopped. With the blender running, slowly drizzle in the olive oil until incorporated.
  • Assemble the wreath: Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
  • Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Use a rolling pin to roll the dough into a large rectangle, about ¼ inch thick.
  • Spread the softened cream cheese across the dough to cover completely. Spread the pesto evenly over the cream cheese. Sprinkle the sun-dried tomatoes over the pesto.
  • Starting from a long end, roll the dough into a log and pinch the seam closed. Turn the log seam-side down and use a serrated knife to cut lengthwise into 3 long pieces. Braid the pieces together, then bring the ends together to form a wreath. Carefully transfer to the prepared baking sheet. Brush beaten egg all over the wreath.
  • Bake the wreath until golden brown, about 40 minutes.
  • Slice and serve.
  • Enjoy!

Nutrition Facts : Calories 322 calories, Carbohydrate 36 grams, Fat 14 grams, Fiber 2 grams, Protein 11 grams, Sugar 6 grams

Tips:

  • Use a bread machine or stand mixer to make the dough. This will save you time and effort.
  • If you don't have a bread machine or stand mixer, you can make the dough by hand. Just be sure to knead it for at least 10 minutes, until it is smooth and elastic.
  • Let the dough rise in a warm place until it has doubled in size. This will take about 1 hour.
  • Divide the dough into three equal pieces. Roll each piece into a rope about 18 inches long.
  • Braid the three ropes of dough together, pinching the ends to seal. Place the braid on a greased baking sheet.
  • Let the dough rise again for about 30 minutes, until it has doubled in size.
  • Bake the bread at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 30-35 minutes, or until it is golden brown.
  • Let the bread cool for a few minutes before slicing and serving.

Conclusion:

Braided wreath bread is a beautiful and delicious bread that is perfect for any occasion. It is easy to make and can be made with a variety of different flavors. This recipe is a great place to start, but feel free to experiment with different ingredients and techniques to create your own unique wreath bread.

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