Christbrot (Christmas Bread with Dried Fruit) is a traditional German recipe for a classic fruited yeasted bread traditionally prepared and served as a Christmas cake. The full recipe is presented here and I hope you enjoy this classic German version of: Christmas Bread with Dried Fruit (Christbrot).
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Christbrot is very similar to a Weihnachtsstollen (Christmas stollen), but lighter in texture, and is best eaten freshly baked without needing time to mature. This is one of the reasons why a Christbrot is more popular to bake at home than a Stollen each year. It isn’t hard to make Christbrot but the method involves a triple rise, so you’ll need to set a morning or afternoon aside if you choose to make it. This recipe calls for vanilla sugar, which you can buy. However, I usually stick any left-over vanilla pods in a jar of white granulated sugar, which eventually gives me vanilla sugar.
Ingredients:
75g (1 cup) mixed (candied) peel
50g (1/3 cup) raisins
50g (1/3 cup) currants
1 tbsp dark rum
300g (2 ½ cups) plain flour, plus extra for dusting
40g (1/5 cup) caster sugar
½ tsp fine sea salt
finely-grated zest of lemon
finely-grated zest of ½ orange
50g (1/4 cup) unsalted butter, melted
1 egg
7g (1 sachet) active dried yeast or 20g (4 tsp) fresh yeast
70ml (1/3 cup) whole milk, tepid
50g (3/5 cup) flaked almonds
50g (1/4 cup) unsalted butter, melted and cooled
40g (1/5 cup) vanilla sugar
40g (1/5 cup) icing (confectioners’) sugar
Method:
Combine the mixed peel, raisins and currants into a bowl, pour over the rum and set aside to macerate while you prepare the dough.
Combine the flour, sugar, salt and citrus zests into a large bowl and mix together with a wooden spoon, then add the melted butter and egg.
Crumble the yeast (or sprinkle if using dried) into the tepid milk and stir to dissolve. Pour the yeasted milk into the flour mixture and, using your hands, bring the ingredients together into a rough dough. Tip the dough on to a floured surface and knead well for about 10 minutes, until it becomes more elastic. Form into a ball and nestle it into the bottom of the bowl. Cover the bowl with a damp tea towel and set aside in a warm spot to rise for 1-3 hours until almost doubled in volume. (Alternatively, put the flour, sugar, salt and citrus zests into the bowl of a free-standing electric mixer fitted with a dough hook. Add the butter and egg. Pour in the yeasted milk and knead for 5 minutes until the dough is elastic. Cover the bowl and set aside, as above.)
Once raised, knock the dough back with your fist and add the almonds and boozy dried fruit (along with any liquid). Knead the fruit and nuts through the dough for a few minutes until evenly incorporated. Form the dough into a ball and return it to the bowl. Cover with the tea towel and set aside in a warm spot for about 20 minutes for a short second rise.
Form the dough into a round loaf shape and place it on a baking tray lined with non-stick baking parchment. Cover with a tea towel and leave somewhere warm to rise for a final 30 minutes.
Pre-heat your oven to 190°C (170°C fan/375°F/gas mark 5).
Transfer the loaf to the centre of your pre-heated oven and bake in the oven for 35-40 minutes until brown all over and cooked through. Check after 25 minutes; if it’s getting too brown, cover with a piece of foil for the remainder of the baking time.
Transfer to a wire rack and brush with the melted butter repeatedly until all the butter is used up. Sprinkle with the vanilla sugar, then sift over the icing sugar.
This is best eaten within a couple of hours after it’s baked. Or you can wrap it in foil and store in an airtight tin; it will keep for up to 3 days, after which it is still fine to toast for a further 2 days.
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