My Christmas Bread Round-Up

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...I am inordinately fond of bread. As telling as this holiday list may be, the number of sweet breads I've chosen not to include is even more enlightening. Worse still, I've been testing new breads and will be adding a few more to the list before the Christmas holiday is here. It's not hard to tell that I've been seduced by those spores that cause flour and water to rise to poetic heights. The first time I read those classic words from The Rubáiyát of Omar Khayyám, my response was "Amen, brother." I was even willing to forgo the jug if it meant I could have butter with my bread. Actually, most of today's featured breads don't need butter, but its availability keeps panic from setting in. To make my Christmas list, a bread had to be delicious, but I also tried to pick ones that had a story to tell or memories that could be shared. I'll let you be the judge of how well I did. Here are my favorite Christmas breads. I hope you'll try them.







Cinnamon Meringue Coffee Ring












Dresdener Stollen












Walnut Coffee Cake












Cougnou (Bread of Jesus)












Panettone












Julekake ( Norwegian Christmas Bread)











Swedish Coffee Ring with Apricots and Almonds












St. Lucia Buns











Cranberry Bread Pudding with Orange Hard Sauce











Schnecken (Snails)