If you've been follow my blog for a while now you know I have a thing for rainbow bread. With the Holiday Season in full swing I wanted to do a bread in Christmas colours. I introduce to you my Christmas Bread. A French loaf style bread made up of red, white, and green swirls.
This bread is not only delicious but is also easy to make and looks so beautiful. I know in the winter we eat a lot of soups and what could be more fun than adding a Christmas themed bread to making dinner more festive!
I know it takes a little more work do dye and shape the bread compared to a regular French loaf, but my toddlers love it and that's all the reason I need to keep creating fun breads.
How to Make Christmas Bread
Making the Bread Dough
In your stand mixer with the dough hook attachment on add yeast, warm water, and sugar into the bowl and stir together. Let sit for 10 minutes or until the yeast is activated and there is bubbling foam on top of the mixture.
Once yeast has been activated add in oil, salt, and 2 cups of flour. Mixing everything together and when combined add the remaining cup of flour. If dough is not coming together add in a tbsp of warm water and mix again. Continue doing this until dough is firm and sticks together. If dough is too sticky add small amounts of flour.
Once the dough is the right texture (forms into one cohesive ball) continue kneading the dough in your stand mixer on a medium setting for 6-8 minutes. You will know when the bread is well kneaded when you press down on the dough with your finger tip and it bounces back up.
Remove dough from the bowl and divide dough into three equal pieces. You can do this with a scale but I just eyeball it.
Set one ball aside to stay white. Take one ball and add 1 tsp of red food colouring into the dough ball. Knead the colour in by hand. You want to knead the food colouring until the dough is a solid colour. This does take a lot of time and you may have to add more food colouring to get the desired colour. Take the third dough ball and add 1 tsp of green food colouring and knead it in.
Once the dough has been dyed it is time to let it rise. Grease a large bowl with vegetable oil and place the dough ball inside. Turn the dough over in the bowls to coat the top with oil. Cover with plastic wrap and a kitchen towel and let it rise in a warm location until it has doubled in size, about an hour.
After an hour gently punch each ball down, cover, and let rise again for another 30 minutes.
Shaping the Bread
After the second rise remove dough from the bowls and place on the counter. Using a rolling pin flatten each ball into a rectangle. Try and get the rectangles do all be similar lengths and widths (it doesn't have to be perfect).
Lay each dough rectangle on top of each other trying to line up the edges. I chose to have the red on the outside to make the bread extra festive but you can layer it anyway you like!
Starting at one of the long edges, roll the dough together so it creates a loaf. Pinch the seem and ends together, and tuck them underneath the loaf.
Place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper seem side down, cover with a kitchen towel, and let rise for 30 minutes.
Baking
Preheat oven to 375 F.
Create an egg wash by mixing the egg white and cold water together. Uncover and brush egg wash over the loaf.
Using a sharp knife make diagonal slashes 2 in. apart across top of the loaf.
Bake for 28-31 minutes or until golden brown and bread sounds hollow when tapped.
Cool fully before slicing. Bread is best enjoyed fresh but it does keep well up to three days.
Bake them on your own or bake them with your kids, either way I’m sure you’ll love with this Christmas Bread!
If you make this bread you can tag me on Instagram @jessiebakestreats and leave me a review below. I’d love to hear from you!
For more ideas you can follow me on Pinterest.
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Christmas Bread
Ingredients
- 2 & 1/4 tsp active dry yeast
- 1 C warm water
- 1 tbsp white sugar
- 2 tbsp vegetable oil
- 1 & 1/2 tsp salt
- 3 & 1/4 C all purpose flour
- 2 tsp food colouring red and green
- 1 egg white
- 1 tsp cold water
Instructions
Making the Bread Dough
- In your stand mixer with the dough hook attachment on add yeast, warm water, and sugar into the bowl and stir together. Let sit for 10 minutes or until the yeast is activated and there is bubbling foam on top of the mixture.2 & 1/4 tsp active dry yeast, 1 C warm water, 1 tbsp white sugar
- Once yeast has been activated add in oil, salt, and 3 cups of flour. Mixing everything together.2 tbsp vegetable oil, 1 & 1/2 tsp salt, 3 & 1/4 C all purpose flour
- Continue kneading until dough is firm and sticks together. If the dough is too sticky keep mixing and adding small amounts of the 1/4 cup of flour. Knead the dough for about 6 minutes. The dough should form into one ball and pull away from the sides.
- Remove dough from the bowl and divide dough into three equal pieces. You can do this with a scale but I just eyeball it.
- Set one ball aside to stay white. Take one ball and add 1 tsp of red food colouring into the dough ball. Knead the colour in by hand. You want to knead the food colouring until the dough is a solid colour. This does take a lot of time and you may have to add more food colouring to get the desired colour.2 tsp food colouring
- Take the third dough ball and add 1 tsp of green food colouring and knead it in.
- Once the dough has been dyed it is time to let it rise. Grease a large bowl with vegetable oil and place the dough ball inside. Turn the dough over in the bowls to coat the top with oil. Cover with plastic wrap and a kitchen towel and let it rise in a warm location until it has doubled in size, about an hour.
- After an hour gently punch each ball down, cover, and let rise again for another 30 minutes.
Shaping the Bread
- After the second rise remove dough from the bowls and place on the counter. Using a rolling pin flatten each ball into a rectangle. Try and get the rectangles do all be similar lengths and widths (it doesn't have to be perfect).
- Lay each dough rectangle on top of each other trying to line up the edges.
- Starting at one of the long edges, roll the dough together so it creates a loaf. Pinch the seem and ends together, and tuck them underneath the loaf.
- Place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, cover with a kitchen towel, and let rise for 30 minutes.
Baking
- Preheat oven to 375 F.
- Create an egg wash by mixing the egg white and cold water together. Uncover and brush egg wash over the loaf.1 egg white, 1 tsp cold water
- Using a sharp knife make diagonal slashes 2 in. apart across top of the loaf.
- Bake for 30-33 minutes or until golden brown and bread sounds hollow when tapped.
- Fully cool before slicing.
- Enjoy!
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