Braided Bread

A spiral pecan cinnamon roll with icing, meticulously crafted like a bread wreath, features enticing slices on a white plate beside a bowl of pecans.

5 from 1 vote

Easy cinnamon pull apart Christmas braided sweet bread wreath recipe is a great addition to any Easter, Thanksgiving, Mother's Day brunch.

Prep Time30

Cook Time30

Course: Breakfast, Dessert

Cuisine: American, French

Keyword: braided, bread, breakfast, cinnamon, maple, pecan, wreath

Servings:

Author: Justine

Equipment

1 Rolling Pin
2 bowls

Ingredients

3 c all purpose flour
1 pkg active dry yeast .25 oz
3/4 c milk luke warm
1/4 c maple syrup
1 egg
3 tbsp butter unsalted, melted
1/3 tsp salt
filling
3 tbsp butter softened
1/2 c pecans chopped
3 tbsp maple syrup
1 tbsp cinnamon
1/4 c brown sugar
Glaze
2/3 c powdered sugar
1 tbsp maple syrup
1 tbsp milk
maple syrup used for brushing on outside once done

Instructions

In a large bowl or stand mixer combine the warm milk, maple syrup, and yeast. Whisk to dissolve the yeast. Leave for 5-10 minutes until it is nice and foamy.
Add in the egg and salt. Add one cup of flour and melted butter. Slowly add the remaining flour. Knead the dough with the hook or by hand for 5-8 minutes until smooth
Place the dough into a greased bowl. Cover it tightly with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm location until it has almost doubled in size. This will take about 1-2 hours.
While the dough is rising, make the filling. Whisk together the butter, maple syrup, light brown sugar, and cinnamon in a bowl. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Set aside.
Place the dough on a lightly floured surface. Knead it for a short while. Roll it out into a large rectangle shape. Spread the butter mixture on top leaving the dough bare around the edges. Sprinkle the chopped pecans over the dough if you choose to add these. You could use raisins or walnuts instead.
Roll up the dough tightly into a log shape. Using a sharp knife cut it lenth wise leaving the last inch of the dough in tact so it is still sealed at one end.
Carefully transfer to a parchment lined baking sheet. Cover the wreath loosely with plastic wrap. Let this sit until soft and nearly doubled in size. This will take about 30 minutes to do. Twist the two strands around themselves as if you were braiding. One over the other all the way to the end.
Wrap two ends together to form a wreath shape. Pinch ends to ensure they are sealed well.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Bake the bread wreath for 30-35 minutes until outsides are nice and golden brown. If the top starts to color too much before the loaf is done, you can loosely cover it with a sheet of tinfoil.
When the bread is done, remove it from the oven. Brush it with pure maple syrup to give it a good shine, then leave to cool.
For a glaze whisk the above ingredients together until smooth. Drizzle over entire thing or on top of each piece when served.

Nutrition