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Raspberry Almond Blueberry Wreath Bread is celebration on a plate

This raspberry almond blueberry wreath bread is an over the top braided light cinnamon roll dough filled with the two berry jams and an easy almond filling. After you roll up the dough like you would for cinnamon rolls, you slice it open, then braid the cut pieces.

I dearly love making celebration breads like this. They are so dramatic, yet they’re relatively easy to make.

And while I made this particular Hefekranz (this is the German name for this type of bread) for the 4th of July, you can fill this type of bread with just about any jam- consistency spread you can think of. Pesto, nutella, garlic butter–the sky’s the limit.

This red, white, and blue bread will be one of the coolest things you make. So let’s get braiding.

Raspberry Almond Blueberry Wreath Bread (Hefekranz)

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Why this bread is worth your time

  1. It’s sneaky easy: if you can make cinnamon rolls, this is just a hair more complicated though it looks like you spent ages on it. Actually if you think of it as a giant cinnamon roll, you’re just two steps away from figuring this out.
  2. So much flavor: You won’t be prepared for how delicious this bread is. I sent some home with my friend at church who’s Dad is a Master Baker from Germany. Her comment was, “The blueberry taste is heavenly with the sweetness of the marzipan and the tartness of the raspberry.” This taste will stay with you for a while.
  3. Fun: making these kinds of twisty exposed braids is really fun. Ever since Yotam Ottolenghi’s book Jerusalem and his drool-worthy chocolate babka, I’ve been using this technique every chance I get. You’ll swear it’s a bit of magic the first time you do it.
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Ingredients for Raspberry Almond Blueberry Hefekranz

filling ingredients for raspberry almond blueberry wreath bread

Dough

  • Water
  • Yeast
  • Milk
  • Butter
  • Eggs
  • Sugar
  • Vanilla paste (optional but adds more flavor)
  • Salt

Fillings

Finishing

  • Egg white: for a glaze
  • Pearl sugar: so cool!
  • Butter: for brushing the hot crust

Steps for making wreath bread

  1. Dough: make the dough per the recipe instructions. Cover the bowl, then pop it in the fridge overnight.
  2. Fillings: make the jams and the almond filling, then set them aside near where you’ll roll out the dough.
  3. Roll: Roll out the dough on a floured surface into a rectangle.
  4. Stripe!: Spread alternating stripes of raspberry, almond, and blueberry stripes across the dough.
  5. Roll: Roll up the dough into a tight log.
  6. Cut and braid: Cut through the dough log from the center to one end into 3 pieces. Quickly braid the pieces together, keeping the cut filling upwards to expose the layers. Repeat with the second side.
  7. Rest: Pinch the ends of the braid together to form a wreath. Carefully lift the wreath to a parchment lined baking sheet and cover it with a towel to rise.
  8. Bake: glaze with egg white and sprinkle with pearl sugar. Bake until deep golden.
  9. Cool!: Walk away, it will smell far too good. Be sure to let this bread cool completely before cutting to preserve the texture.

Tips for the best wreath bread

  • Make the jams: While you can use store bought jams (and I absolutely would and do), if you have a little extra time, the homemade ones have so much more flavor.
  • Cool the dough: I’m using a slightly drier version of my favorite overnight roll dough. While this dough isn’t as sticky as the one for my cinnamon rolls, letting the dough rise in the fridge overnight will make it easier to handle. Do not attempt to use this dough at room temperature.
  • Be prepared: set out your fillings close to where you’ll roll out the dough.
  • Anchor the dough: be confident when you go to cut through the dough log. Only cut from the center towards one of the ends. By cutting through only halfway, you’ll force yourself to braid from the center outwards, which will give you a better braid. This also will anchor the dough so that the cut pieces don’t get too unwieldy.
  • Don’t stretch: keep the braid pieces close together, moving quickly to braid, but be careful not to stretch out the dough, especially as you get to the ends. If you do, just try again another day. Braiding dough takes practice, and you’ll get better each time.
  • Try the pearl sugar: If you’ve never tried pearl sugar before, it’s amazing stuff. It looks like pretzel salt, but it’s a sugar that does not melt in the oven, leaving you with these pretty crunchy bits. I bought my first bag for my baking students and they’ve been looking for excuses to use it more ever since!
  • Choose your glaze: I like this bread plain, with just the crust brushed with butter after it comes out of the oven. If you prefer, you can give it a cream cheese frosting or a simple vanilla glaze. Both of them would add extra moisture and a bit more sweetness. Do what sounds good.
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raspberry almond blueberry wreath bread

Raspberry Almond Blueberry Braided Wreath


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  • Total Time: 10 hours 5 minutes

Description

Soft sweet roll dough painted with stripes of red white and blue, then rolled up and cut before braiding into a glorious wreath. The shape is called Hefekranz in German. This is a bread worthy of a celebration.


Ingredients

Scale

Dough

  • 1/4 cup warm water (59 mL)
  • 2 tsp instant yeast
  • 1/4 cup granulated sugar (50 g)
  • 3/4 cup whole milk (177 mL)
  • 4 Tablespoons butter (57 g)
  • 3/4 tsp salt
  • 2 large eggs, cold
  • 1 tsp vanilla paste
  • 3 and 1/4 cups all-purpose flour (422 grams)

Almond filling

  • 1 and 3/4 ounces packaged marzipan (50 g)
  • 1/4 cup powdered sugar (30 g)
  • 2 Tablespoons butter at room temperature (28 g)
  • 1 large egg white
  • 1 tsp almond extract

Finishing the bread

  • 1 large egg white
  • Pearl sugar
  • 2 Tablespoons butter, melted


Instructions

Make the dough:

  • Sprinkle the yeast on the warm water in a small bowl with a pinch of the sugar. Set aside for about 5 minutes until the yeast is foamy.
  • Warm the milk in a small pan on the stove until you see bubbles around the edges. Cut up the butter and add it to the pan to melt.
  • Crack your eggs and use a fork to whip them into the butter and milk mixture, then add in the sugar, salt, and vanilla, then stir to combine. Check the temperature with your finger (the milk/egg mixture should be just warm to the touch.).
  • Put the flour into a large bowl or your stand mixer bowl. Make a well in the center with your hands, then pour in the milk mixture then the yeast mixture. Stir with a wooden spoon to make a rough dough.
  • After that, with a dough hook on your stand mixer, beat the dough for about 10 minutes on low speed (2 on a Kitchen Aid) until you get an elastic slightly sticky dough that pulls away in strands from the sides of the bowl.
  • Cover the dough with plastic wrap and set in the fridge to rise overnight or 4 hours minimum.

 

Make the filling:

  • If you want to make homemade jams for extra flavor, follow the recipes for raspberry jam and also blueberry jam.
  • For the almond filling: Grate the marzipan. If you have a food processor, use the coarse cheese grating die..
  • Blend the grated marzipan with the butter, sugar, and the egg white, and almond extract until you have a smooth, spreadable mixture. You can pop this mixture in the fridge overnight, though it’s best to make it right before you need it so that it’s spreadable.

 

Fill the bread:

  • Line a sheet tray with a piece of parchment. Set out the jams and the almond filling near where you’ll roll the dough.
  • Sprinkle a work area well with flour, then roll the dough out onto it into a rectangle. Stop to lift the dough periodically during rolling to make sure it’s not sticking. If it does stick, add a tiny bit more flour in the sticking spot, then continue to roll. Aim for the dough to be about 15″x17″.
  • Dollop a scant tablespoon of jam about 1/4″ in from one of the edges, then spread the jam into a stripe about 1″ wide.
  • Continue making stripes of the filling in the order raspberry, almond, blueberry all along the surface of the dough. You decide if you want the stripes to run horizontally or vertically. I tried both in the course of testing this recipe, and they’re both lovely.
  • Roll up the dough onto itself, covering the filling and making a tight log.
  • Set the log near the prepared sheet pan. Use a knife or a bench scraper to cut through the log from the middle to the end into 3 pieces.
  • Twist the dough log pieces upwards to expose the filling, then quickly braid the pieces together. Keep the braid tight, but do not pull on the dough as you braid.
  • Cut the other side in the same way and braid the rest of the dough.
  • Cross the ends over each other and pinch slightly to make a complete wreath.
  • Use both your hands and forearms to lift the wreath onto the parchment.
  • Cover the dough with a tea towel to rest for 45 minutes.

 

Bake the wreath:

  • Towards the end of the resting time, preheat the oven to 350F (180C).
  • Just before it goes in the oven, whisk the egg white with a fork to break it up a bit. Paint the braid with the egg white, going with the direction of the braid. Try to avoid brushing across the exposed layers so that the jam doesn’t smear.
  • Sprinkle the loaf with pearl sugar.
  • Bake for 35 minutes until deep golden brown.
  • Brush on the extra 2 Tablespoons of butter on the hot bread. This will keep the crust soft and make it extra shiny.
  • Allow the wreath to cool completely before cutting.
  • Bread is best the day it’s made, though you won’t get any complaints the second day. Beyond 2 days, cut it up into cubes for bread pudding or slice it up for luxury French toast.

Notes

Glaze, frosting, or plain?: I prefer this bread on its own so that you can see the beautiful ridges that the braiding produces, but I know a lot of other people like the extra sweetness and moisture from a topping. A cream cheese frosting or a thinner vanilla glaze both work well here. Choose your own topping adventure!

  • Prep Time: 30 minutes
  • Additional Time: 9 hours
  • Cook Time: 35 minutes
  • Category: Breads
  • Cuisine: German

Nutrition

  • Serving Size: 1 piece
  • Calories: 203
  • Sugar: 15
  • Sodium: 242
  • Fat: 10
  • Saturated Fat: 6
  • Unsaturated Fat: 4
  • Trans Fat: 0
  • Carbohydrates: 24
  • Fiber: 1
  • Protein: 4
  • Cholesterol: 84

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