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.