When you set the clock back an hour, you actually gain an hour of sleep. If your alarm clock goes off at 7am, you're really waking up at 8am.
What a wonderful time for a slice of warm Easter Breakfast Bread. This Easter Siinday is on March 31st.
Easter Breakfast Bread Wreath with Cranberry Almond Filling
Serves 12
For Bread:
packet (2 1/4 teaspoons) active dry yeast
1/4 cup warm water
1/2 cup warm milk
3 tablespoons sugar
4 tablespoons butter, softened
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon cardamom powder
2 large eggs
2 teaspoons grated lemon peel
3 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
For Cranberry-Almond Filling:
3/4 cup dried cranberries or cherries, soaked in 1/2 cup brandy or other liqueur
6 tablespoons butter, softened to room temperature
1/3 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
3/4 cup finely chopped blanched almonds
3 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon freshly grated lemon peel
1 teaspoon almond extract
For Glaze:
1 cup powdered sugar
2 tablespoons water
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon cardamom powder
Prepare the dough: In a large mixing bowl, dissolve the yeast in the water and let it foam up for a minute or two. Blend in the milk, sugar, butter, salt, cardamom, eggs and lemon peel. Stir in two cups of the flour, one cup at a time. Beat for 2 minutes. Add remaining flour 1/2 cup at a time until you have a soft, workable dough — you might not need to use all the flour.
Dump the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface and knead until smooth, 5 to 10 minutes. Add more flour if needed to prevent sticking. Place in a lightly oiled mixing bowl large enough to accommodate dough when doubled in size. Cover with plastic wrap and let it rise in a warm place until doubled in bulk, about 1 1/2 hours.
Prepare the cranberry-almond filling: Drain the dried fruit from the liqueur and reserve the liqueur for another use. In a small bowl, combine the drained fruit with remaining filling ingredients. Cover and refrigerate.
Shape the dough: When dough has doubled in size, punch it down and turn it out onto a lightly floured board, kneading just enough to release any air bubbles. Roll the dough into a 9x30 inch rectangle.
Crumble the filling over the dough to within 1 inch of the edges. Starting along a long side, tightly roll up the dough, pinching edge against loaf to seal. With a sharp knife, cut roll in half lengthwise. Carefully turn the halves so the cut sides are facing up, and then loosely twist the halves around each other, keeping cut sides up.
Line a baking sheet with parchment or non-stick baking mat. Carefully transfer the rope to the baking sheet and shape into a wreath, pinching the ends together to seal. Let it rise, uncovered, in a warm place until puffy, about 45 minutes. Bake the wreath in preheated 350 degree oven 25 minutes or until lightly browned.
When wreath is done, transfer to a cooling rack by picking up the sides of the parchment and then sliding the parchment out from underneath. Cool for a few minutes.
Mix the ingredients for the glaze with a fork, and drizzle over warm wreath. Serve with extra butter if you're feeling decadent.
Cardamom is a spice made from the seed pods of various plants in the ginger family. It has a strong, pungent flavor and aroma, with hints of lemon, mint and smoke. You can substitute a mix of equal parts of cinnamon and nutmeg in place of the cardamom.
Nutritional Information (amount per serving) Calories 372; Carbohydrates 55g; Cholesterol 58mg; Fiber 3g; Sodium 58mg; Sugars 22g; Fat 14g; Protein 7g
* Source: The Kitchn, Sara Kate Gillingham
Sara Kate is the founding editor of The Kitchn. She co-founded the site in 2005 and has since written three cookbooks. She is co-author of The Kitchn Cookbook, published in October 2014 by Clarkson Potter. This recipe is adapted from Sunset Magazine, December 1978.
The wreath can be baked up to 2 days ahead of time. Do not glaze the loaf. Let the wreath cool completely, then wrap tightly in foil and store at room temperature. Re-heat the bread at 350 degrees for 10 to 15 minutes, drizzle with the glaze just before serving.
Isn't the fragrance of fresh bread baking divine, especially when it's chilly outside.