Christmas Morning Braided Bread
Traditional Christmas morning bread.
Ingredients
- 2 1/4 cups warm water
- 2 tsp salt
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 2 packages fast rising yeast
- 4 tbsp butter or shortening softened
- 2 eggs large eggs beaten
- 8 cups all purpose flour
- 1/2 cup icing sugar, packed
- 1/4 tsp vanilla
- 1 tbsp milk
- 1 jar raspberry jam seedless
Instructions
- Measure 7 cups flour, salt, sugar and yeast into large mixing bowl and combine.
- Make a "well" in the centre of the mixture.
- Combine water, eggs and butter or shortening in a bowl and mix.
- Pour liquids into "well" in flour mixture and mix by hand for 5 minutes. Dough will be sticky at first, but will become smooth with mixing. If it remains sticky, add up to 1 cup more flour.
- Divide dough into 2 or 3 balls and place into separate greased bowls. Brush top of each dough ball with some melted butter, cover with a damp cloth and then a dry cloth.
- Let dough rise in a warm place until doubled in bulk (about 1-2 hours).
- Roll dough into a rectangle about 6 x 12 x 1/2 inch thick. Cut length wise into 3 strips, keeping 2 inches uncut at one end.
- Braid the strips of dough. Tuck loose ends and place on greased baking sheet.
- Brush with melted butter, making sure butter goes into the crevices.
- Cover with damp tea towel and let rise for 2 hours or until doubled in bulk.
- Bake for 20 minutes at 375F, until light golden brown. Move to a wire rack to cool.
- Prepare icing by combining milk, icing sugar and vanilla. When bread is cool, top with icing and fill crevices with raspberry jam (seedless).