Description
Traditional German Christmas Bread made with a blend of spices, raisins, and hazelnuts, perfectly moist and fragrant, baked conveniently in a bread machine and finished with a sweet vanilla glaze.
Ingredients
Scale
Dough Ingredients
- 1 cup milk
- 1/3 cup water
- 3 tbsp butter, softened
- 2 tbsp kirsch cherry brandy
- 4 cups bread flour
- 3 tbsp sugar
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 1/2 tsp pie spice (apple pie spice, pumpkin pie spice, or cinnamon-based baking spice blend)
- 1 1/4 tsp active dry yeast
- 2/3 cup raisins
- 1/2 cup chopped hazelnuts
Glaze Ingredients
- 2/3 cup powdered sugar
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 2–3 tsp milk
Instructions
- Prepare Bread Machine: Add the wet ingredients to the bread machine’s bread pan first in the order: milk, water, softened butter, and kirsch cherry brandy. Then add the dry ingredients – bread flour, sugar, salt, and pie spice. Make a small well in the flour to add the active dry yeast. Keep the raisins and hazelnuts aside for now.
- Select Settings: Choose the 2-pound loaf size and the basic white bread cycle on your machine, then press START to begin mixing and kneading.
- Add Raisins and Hazelnuts: Add the raisins and chopped hazelnuts during the mix-in phase of the bread cycle, usually indicated by a beep. If your machine has no alert, add them once the dough forms a solid ball and is being kneaded but before the first rise.
- Optional Extra Kneading: To ensure even distribution of fruit and nuts, remove the dough ball when instructed, knead the raisins and nuts deeper into the dough by hand for a few minutes, then return it to the bread machine to complete rising and baking.
- Bake: The baking process typically takes around 3 hours but may vary depending on your bread machine’s model.
- Prepare Glaze: In a small bowl, mix the powdered sugar and vanilla extract. Add 2 teaspoons of milk and stir with a fork, adjusting thickness as desired.
- Apply Glaze: For a thick decorative glaze suitable for piping, use the thick mixture and decorate the cooled loaf with a pastry bag. For a lighter all-over glaze, add the third teaspoon of milk, and spread the glaze over the slightly warm bread to let it drizzle down the sides.
Notes
- If kirsch cherry brandy is unavailable or undesired, substitute with cherry juice, cherry preserves, or Framboise (raspberry brandy) for similar flavor.
- Each bread machine varies; follow your machine’s manual for best ingredient layering and cycle selection.
- Ensure raisins and nuts are evenly mixed in by optionally kneading by hand mid-cycle.
- Glaze can be customized for thickness depending on your decoration preference.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 3 hours
- Category: Bread
- Method: Bread Machine Baking
- Cuisine: German
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice (approximately 1/12 of loaf)
- Calories: 220 kcal
- Sugar: 9 g
- Sodium: 180 mg
- Fat: 5 g
- Saturated Fat: 2.8 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 2 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 38 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 5 g
- Cholesterol: 15 mg
Keywords: German Christmas Bread, bread machine recipe, holiday bread, spiced bread, raisin bread, hazelnut bread, kirsch bread, festive bread
