A Delicious Holiday Treat

Here's a delicious recipe that's perfect for this festive season.  From our TrueSense family to yours, enjoy, and happy holidays!

(Katie Damico is Director of Digital Operations at TrueSense Marketing — and she also loves to bake!  This is her special Christmas morning breakfast tradition.  After gifts are opened, she and her husband have coffee and this bread toasted with lots of butter in front of the fireplace.  We hope it becomes one of your holiday favorites as well.)

Spiced Christmas Bread

(NOTE: This bread freezes beautifully, so it's easy to have on hand for special occasions, holidays, or unexpected guests.) 

Makes 2 medium-sized loaves; approximately 8-10 servings.

Ingredients: 

5 teaspoons active dry yeast
1/4 cup warm water
3/4 cup sugar, divided
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
3/4 cup milk
2 eggs
3 cups flour, divided, plus more for dusting and kneading
1/2 teaspoon fine salt
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cardamom
(NOTE: If cardamom is hard to find, or is not your preference, this can be replaced with cinnamon.)

In a large warm bowl, dissolve yeast and 1 teaspoon of the sugar in 1/4 cup warm water.  Set aside until yeast looks foamy and has doubled in size.  Meanwhile, melt butter, then stir in milk and set aside to let cool.

Lightly beat one of the eggs.  Stir beaten egg and milk mixture into bubbly yeast mixture.

Combine 2 1/2 cups of the flour, 1/2 cup of the sugar, salt, and cardamom with the yeast/milk mixture in a large food processor.  Pulse until dough comes together in a ball, adding more flour if needed to get a soft, but workable dough.  (Dough can also be mixed by hand if you'd prefer.)

Remove dough from food processor, form into a smooth ball, and place in a bowl.  Dust with flour, cover bowl with a dish towel, and set aside in a warm place to let rise until doubled in bulk (about 1 hour).

With floured hands, punch down dough and transfer to a lightly-floured surface.  Knead with your hands until smooth, working in more flour if needed so that dough is just slightly sticky.  Divide dough into 6 equal ropes, each about 12 inches long.

Braid 3 ropes loosely into a loaf, tucking loose ends underneath to secure.  Repeat with remaining ropes to create 2 loaves total.  Transfer loaves to a nonstick or lightly greased baking sheet, arranging them at least 6 inches apart.  Cover loaves with a dish towel, and set aside in a warm place to let rise again (30 to 45 minutes).

Preheat oven to 375°F.  Lightly beat remaining egg.  Brush braided, risen loaves with egg, and sprinkle with remaining sugar.  Bake until golden brown and cooked through (about 25 minutes).  Transfer to a rack to let cool to room temperature.

(To freeze, just wrap cooled loaf tightly in plastic wrap, then in foil, and freeze.)