Braided Pumpkin Wreaths Recipes

BRAIDED PUMPKIN WREATHS

Steps:

• In large bowl, stir 2 cups of the flour, sugar, salt and yeast. In 2-quart saucepan, heat pumpkin, butter and cider; over medium heat, until 120°F to 130°F. Add to flour mixture; beat on medium speed 3 minutes, scraping bowl occasionally.
• Stir in enough of the remaining flour to make a soft dough. On floured surface, knead until smooth and elastic, 3 to 5 minutes. Place dough in greased bowl, turning to grease top. Cover with plastic wrap and cloth towel; let rise in warm place until double in size, about 1 hour.
• Grease large cookie sheet. Punch down dough. Divide in half; divide each half into 3 pieces. On lightly floured surface, roll each piece into 24-inch-long rope. On cookie sheet, place 3 ropes close together. Braid loosely; pinch ends together, forming a circle. Repeat with remaining dough. Cover; let rise in warm place until almost double in size, 20 to 30 minutes.
• Heat oven to 375°F. In small bowl, beat egg and water until well blended; brush over braids; sprinkle with sesame and poppy seed.
• Bake 18 to 24 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from cookie sheet to wire racks. Cool about 1 hour.

BRAIDED FRUIT WREATH

Steps:

• In a large bowl, stir yeast into water to soften. Add milk, butter, sugar, lemon rind, eggs, salt, mace, and 2 cups flour. Beat vigorously for 2 minutes.
• Gradually add flour, 1/4 cup at a time, until the dough begins to pull away from the side of the bowl.
• Turn dough out onto a floured work surface. Knead, adding flour a little at a time, until you have a smooth, elastic dough.
• Put dough into an oiled bowl. Turn to coat the entire ball of dough with oil. Cover with a tightly woven towel and let rise until doubled, about 1 hour.
• Turn dough out onto a lightly oiled work surface and divide in half. Using a rolling pin, roll half of the dough into a 22 by 9-inch rectangle. Cover and let rest 5 minutes on the work surface.
• Cut the dough into three 22-inch long strips.
• Mix the nuts and candied fruit. Fill the center of each strip with 1/2 cup of the nut and fruit mixture. Bring edges together and pinch to seal forming three 22-inch-long strands.
• Lay the strands side-by-side on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Turn the baking sheet so the strands are facing lengthwise away from you. Starting in the center of the strands, place the right strand over the middle strand (the right strand has now become the middle strand), then the left strand over the middle, the right over the middle, left over the middle, etc. Continue this process until the strands are too short to braid. Do not pinch the end together.
• To braid the other end of the loaf, turn the baking sheet around so that the unbraided portion is facing you. Place the middle strand over the right strand, then middle strand over the left, middle over the right, middle over the left, etc., until the ends are too short to braid. Join the ends of the braid to form a wreath, and pinch to seal. Repeat with the other half of the dough. Cover with a tightly woven towel and let rise until almost doubled, about 45 minutes.
• About 10 minutes before baking, preheat oven to 375 degrees.
• Bake for 25 minutes, or until the internal temperature of the loaf reaches 190 degrees.
• Immediately remove bread from baking sheet and cool on a rack for 20 minutes.
• Combine powdered sugar and cream. Mixture should be the consistency of honey (if it isn't, adjust by adding more cream to thin it or powdered sugar to thicken it). Drizzle over the top of each wreath.

BRAIDED PUMPKIN-CHEESE BREAD

Steps:

• Combine milk, warm water, honey, and yeast in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook. Let stand until yeast softens and begins to form a creamy foam, about 10 minutes.
• Add oil, pumpkin puree, flour, and salt in the order listed. Mix until a soft, smooth, and tacky dough forms. Adjust flour and water amounts if dough is too sticky.
• Place dough on a lightly floured surface and knead by hand for a few minutes. Form dough into a ball and place in a large greased bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place until doubled in size, 1 1/2 to 2 hours.
• Divide dough into 2 balls and lightly flour each. Return 1 ball to the covered bowl and refrigerate until ready to use. Roll the remaining ball into a 12x16-inch rectangle. Spread 1/2 of the Colby-Jack cheese evenly over the surface. Roll dough up from the short side like a jelly roll and pinch seams to seal.
• Cut roll lengthwise down the middle using a sharp, non-serrated knife. Place two halves next to each other, cut-sides facing up, and braid together starting by placing right side over left. Do your best to keep the cut-sides facing upwards. Seal both ends of the braid and place into a greased loaf pan, cut-sides up.
• Cover dough with plastic. Repeat rolling, filling, and braiding with the remaining dough. Let loaves rise until they reach the top of the loaf pan or start to peek above it, about 45 minutes.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Remove plastic wrap.
• Bake in the preheated oven for 25 minutes. Rotate pans and tent loaves with aluminum foil to prevent over-browning. Bake until golden brown, about 25 minutes.
• Remove loaf pans from the oven; cool for 5 minutes. Cool loaves on a rack for 1 hour.