Description
This Christmas Bread is a warm, festive, cinnamon-swirled holiday loaf that fills your home with cozy aromas and brings a touch of tradition to every slice.
Ingredients
Scale
- 3 ½ cups (420g) all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
- ¼ cup (50g) granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 ¼ teaspoons (1 packet) active dry yeast
- 1 cup (240ml) warm milk
- ¼ cup (60ml) unsalted butter, melted
- 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
- ½ cup unsalted butter, softened
- ¾ cup (150g) packed brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons ground cinnamon
- ½ cup chopped pecans or walnuts (optional)
- ½ cup raisins or dried cranberries (optional)
- 4 ounces cream cheese, softened
- ½ cup unsalted butter, softened
- 2 cups (240g) powdered sugar
- 2–4 tablespoons milk or heavy cream
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Whisk flour, sugar, salt, and yeast together in a large bowl.
- Mix warm milk, melted butter, and beaten eggs in a separate bowl.
- Combine wet and dry ingredients and stir until dough forms.
- Knead 6-8 minutes until smooth.
- Place dough in a greased bowl, cover, and rise 1-1.5 hours.
- Mix softened butter, brown sugar, cinnamon, and optional nuts or fruit for the filling.
- Punch down dough and roll into a 12×18-inch rectangle.
- Spread filling evenly, roll into a log, and seal.
- Slice into 12-15 rolls and place in a greased 9×13-inch pan.
- Rise 30-45 minutes.
- Bake at 350°F (175°C) for 25-30 minutes until golden.
- Beat cream cheese and butter, add powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla to make glaze.
- Spread glaze over warm bread before serving.
Notes
For best results, allow the dough to rise fully and frost while warm so the glaze melts into each swirl.
- Prep Time: 20-30 minutes
- Cook Time: 25-30 minutes
- Category: Bread
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice
- Calories: 350
- Sugar: 22g
- Sodium: 250mg
- Fat: 18g
- Saturated Fat: 10g
- Unsaturated Fat: 8g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 42g
- Fiber: 2g
- Protein: 6g
- Cholesterol: 0mg
Keywords: Christmas Bread, holiday bread, festive baking, cinnamon bread, Christmas recipe