Christmas Yeast Loaf

Ingredients

• 60 g raisins
• 6 tbsp rum
• 400 g flour
• 1 pinch salt
• 0.5 cube fresh yeast (21 g)
• 160 ml lukewarm milk
• 1 egg
• 80 g softened butter
• 60 g sugar
• flour (for work surface and dusting)
• 40 g chopped orange zest
• 40 g chopped lemon zest
• 50 g almond sticks
• 1 egg yolk (for brushing)

Instructions

1. 1.

   Soak the raisins in rum.

2. 2.

   Mix flour with salt in a bowl, make a well in the center, crumble in the yeast and stir with about 80 ml lukewarm milk until smooth. Dust edges with a little flour and cover; let rise in a warm place for about 15 minutes.

3. 3.

   Add the egg, remaining milk, butter and sugar; knead by hand or with an electric mixer until a smooth dough that pulls away from the bowl. Add more flour or milk if needed.

4. 4.

   Knead on floured surface for about 10 minutes, folding in the drained raisins, orange zest, lemon zest and almond sticks.

5. 5.

   Return dough to bowl, dust with flour, cover and let rise another 45 minutes.

6. 6.

   Preheat oven to 180 °C fan.

7. 7.

   Knead again, divide into three equal parts; shape each into a strand about 3 cm thick and loosely braid them into a loaf. Press ends together, place on parchment-lined tray, brush with egg yolk and bake for about 40 minutes in the preheated oven.

8. 8.

   Remove, cool and slice before serving.