There’s no better holiday breakfast than my Christmas wreath bread! It’s rolled up with a filling made from maple syrup, brown sugar, and crunchy pecans– yum! This maple and pecan bread is perfectly sweet and fluffy with a delightful maple glaze and the texture is just delightful.
Maple Pecan Christmas Wreath Bread Recipe
What’s nutty, sweet, chewy, and perfectly festive? This homemade maple and pecan bread in the shape of a wreath! It’s become a tradition for me to bake this bread for Christmas, then we snack on it all day. My kids adore the sweet, rich maple cinnamon filling and the maple glaze on top, and I love the crunchiness of the pecans. And don’t worry, I promise making this braided bread from scratch is easy enough for beginners!
Variations to Try
You can easily change up the filling for this braided wreath bread by swapping out some of the ingredients. Use a mix of warm spices (like nutmeg or or allspice) instead of just cinnamon. Use a different sweetener, like agave, instead of maple syrup. Or throw in walnuts or sliced almonds instead of pecans.
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How to Store
Store leftover Christmas wreath bread in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days, in the refrigerator for up to 1 week, or in the freezer for up to 2 months.
Tips for Success
- Make sure you’re letting the dough sit for at least an hour to give it time to double in size before rolling it out.
- Lightly flour your counter before rolling out the dough into a large rectangle. This will ensure it won’t stick to the surface.
- Do not cut the braid all the way to the end. Leave a little room at the end so that you can easily wrap it together.
Christmas Wreath Bread Recipe
Ingredients
For the Dough
- ¾ cup milk lukewarm (110°F)
- ¼ cup maple syrup
- ¼ ounce fast-acting dry yeast (1 envelope)
- 1 large egg
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 3 tablespoons salted butter melted
For the Filling
- 3 tablespoons salted butter room temperature
- 3 tablespoons maple syrup
- ¼ cup brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
- ½ cup chopped pecans
For the Maple Glaze
- 2 tablespoons maple syrup divided
- ⅔ cup powdered sugar
- 1 tablespoon milk
Equipment
- Kitchen Scale (optional)
- Stand Mixer (optional)
- Rolling Pin
- Baking Sheet
Instructions
- In a large bowl or a bowl of a stand mixer, combine the warm milk, maple syrup, and yeast. Whisk to dissolve the yeast. Leave for 5-10 minutes until foamy.¾ cup milk, ¼ cup maple syrup, ¼ ounce fast-acting dry yeast
- Add in the egg. Add one cup of flour and melted butter. Slowly add the remaining flour. Knead the dough with the hook or by hand for 5-8 minutes until smooth.1 large egg, 3 cups all-purpose flour, 3 tablespoons salted butter
- Place the dough in a greased bowl. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm, draft-free place until almost doubled in size, about 1-2 hours.
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Set aside.
- While the dough is rising, make the filling by whisking together the butter, maple syrup, brown sugar, and cinnamon in a bowl. Set aside.3 tablespoons salted butter, 3 tablespoons maple syrup, ¼ cup brown sugar, 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
- Place the dough on a lightly floured surface. Knead for a short while. Roll the dough out to a large rectangle. Spread the butter mixture, leaving the dough bare around the edges. Sprinkle the chopped pecans over the dough.½ cup chopped pecans
- Roll up the dough tightly to form a log. Using a sharp knife, cut the log longwise, leaving the last inch of the dough intact on one end.
- Twist the two strands around themselves, then form a wreath. Pinch ends to seal.
- Carefully transfer to a parchment-lined baking sheet. Cover the wreath loosely with plastic, then let it stand until soft and nearly doubled in volume, about 30 minutes.
- While the dough rises, preheat oven to 350°F.
- Bake the wreath for 30-35 minutes until golden brown. If the top starts to color too much before the loaf is done, you can loosely cover it with a sheet of aluminum foil.
- When the bread is done, remove it from the oven and brush it with 1 tablespoon of maple syrup to give it a good shine, then leave to cool.2 tablespoons maple syrup
- For the glaze, whisk the remaining tablespoon of the maple syrup, powdered sugar, and the milk together until smooth.⅔ cup powdered sugar, 1 tablespoon milk
- Drizzle the glaze over the cooled wreath.
Notes
How to Make Christmas Wreath Bread Step-by-Step
Bloom the Yeast: In a large bowl or a bowl of a stand mixer, combine ¾ cup of warm milk, ¼ cup of maple syrup, and ¼ ounce of fast-acting dry yeast. Whisk to dissolve the yeast. Leave for 5-10 minutes until foamy.
Mix the Dough: Add in 1 large egg. Add 1 cup of all-purpose flour and 3 tablespoons of melted salted butter. Slowly add the remaining 2 cups of all-purpose flour. Knead the dough with the hook or by hand for 5-8 minutes until smooth.
Proof the Dough: Place the dough in a greased bowl. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm, draft-free place until almost doubled in size, about 1-2 hours.
Mix the Filling: Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside. While the dough is rising, make the filling by whisking together 3 tablespoons of salted butter, 3 tablespoons of maple syrup, ¼ cup of brown sugar, and 1 tablespoon of ground cinnamon in a bowl. Set aside.
Spread the Filling: Place the dough on a lightly floured surface. Knead for a short while. Roll the dough out to a large rectangle. Spread the butter mixture, leaving the dough bare around the edges. Sprinkle ½ cup of chopped pecans over the dough.
Roll and Cut the Dough: Roll up the dough tightly to form a log. Using a sharp knife, cut the log longwise, leaving the last inch of the dough intact on one end.
Braid the Wreath: Twist the two strands around themselves, then form a wreath. Pinch ends to seal. Carefully transfer to a parchment-lined baking sheet. Cover the wreath loosely with plastic, then let it stand until soft and nearly doubled in volume, about 30 minutes.
Bake the Wreath: While the dough rises, preheat the oven to 350°F. Bake the wreath for 30-35 minutes until golden brown. If the top starts to color too much before the loaf is done, you can loosely cover it with a sheet of aluminum foil. When the bread is done, remove it from the oven and brush it with 1 tablespoon of maple syrup to give it a good shine, then leave to cool.
Glaze the Wreath: For the glaze, whisk the remaining 1 tablespoon of the maple syrup, ⅔ cup of powdered sugar, and 1 tablespoon of milk together until smooth. Drizzle the glaze over the cooled wreath.
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