Christmas bread – a Dutch nuts and fruit bread

If there is one thing each year I look forward to around Christmas time, it is Christmas bread – Dutch nuts and dried fruit bread with an almond paste stuffing.

Dutch Christmas bread AKA ‘kerststol’ is an iconic Dutch holiday bread that dates back to the 13th century. It has a sweet almond paste filling and is packed with nuts, dried fruit and often candied citrus peel (called succade). It is mostly found on a Christmas morning’s breakfast table.

Originally made with all purpose flour, lots of butter, refined sugar and heavily dusted with powdered sugar, I made sure mine was on the healthier side so we can indulge on it over the holidays. I used almond and white whole wheat flour, vegan butter, coconut sugar and powdered xylitol instead of powdered sugar.

What do you think? I’d say: ‘let’s bake some Christmas bread!’.

How to make Christmas bread?

Let’s start with the almond paste

When using dates in my almond paste, I start by chopping up the dates in a high speed blender (or using a food processor would work really well also). Once it becomes a paste I transfer it to a mixing bowl and add almond meal and lemon zest. I knead it until everything is combined and roll it out into a sausage a little shorter than the length of your Christmas bread (approx. 10-11 inches/ 25-27 cm). I roll it in plastic wrap and leave it overnight in the refrigerator. It will actually keep for over a week and the taste will develop so making it ahead of time is not a bad thing at all!

When using honey, Stevia or (coconut) sugar instead of dates, you can skip the food processor step and immediately add the sweetener, almond meal and zest to a mixing bowl.

making the flavored sugar

I usually make this at the same time I make the almond paste. It is nothing more that combine sugar and zest and storing it in a container in the refrigerator where the flavors can develop. When pressed for time (or if you forgot) you can skip this step and just use sugar and zest.

Soaking the dried fruit

To soften the dried fruit a bit, I soak them in warm water for 15 minutes. I either do this the night before and leave them in the sieve over a glass to catch the water or I drain the water and dry them off with a towel. If you are pressed for time, you can skip this step.

the dough: yeast mixture

To develop the yeast, I combine half of the flour, yeast, egg yolk and the milk in a mixing bowl using a large wooden spoon. I let it rest for 20 minutes.

the dough: 1st rise

Now I add the rest of the ingredients except for the dried fruit and nuts. So I mix in the rest of the flour, salt, cinnamon (or gingerbread spice), butter and sugar. I knead the dough by repeatedly stretching it out until it is smooth and velvety. It is ok if it is still a bit sticky. I put it back into the mixing bowl and cover it with a tea towel for 20 minutes.

the dough: 2nd rise

This time I add the cranberries and pecans to the dough. I punch down the dough and make it flat. I place the dried fruit and nuts on top and roll up the dough. By doing this I make sure the add-ins are enclosed in the dough and will mostly be on the inside and not sticking out (too much) on the outside.

I put the dough back into the mixing bowl, cover it with the tea towel and let it rise for another 20 minutes.

the dough: 3rd rise

With a rolling pin I roll out the dough or I first divide it into 12 dough balls (when I make mini buns) and then roll them all out. The dough will have a dimension of approximately 14×10 inches/ 35×25 cm (big loaf).

Ok, now it is time to incorporate the almond paste. Here we go: I always make sure the edges of my rolled out dough are slightly thicker than the center. I will tell you why in a second. First I place the almond paste sausage in the middle of the dough:

Fold over the dough and make sure the 2 thicker sides are touching each other (so don’t place them on top of each other):

Now press down on the dough between were the almond paste is and the thicker part of the dough:

I already place the bread/buns on a greased and lightly floured baking tray so I don’t have to move or touch it/them anymore. I cover it/them with a tea towel and let it rise for 45-60 minutes. You can check if the dough has risen enough by making a light dent in the dough with your finger. If the dent disappears your dough isn’t ready yet and you will have to give it another 15 minutes.

I preheat my oven to 360F/190C when the dough is rising.

bake your Christmas bread

I slide my Christmas bread in the oven and bake it for 32-35 minutes for a big loaf or 25-27 minutes for mini buns. If I see it is getting too dark, I lower the heat after 25 minutes to 160C (big loaf) or 15 minutes (mini buns).

cool down and decorate

I let the Christmas bread cool off for a few minutes before I brush some melted butter on it (this is optional and often I forget) to let it shine. When it is cooled off completely, you can dust it with powdered sugar/xylitol for a snowy effect.

Other add-ins:

• Instead of dried cranberries you can use raisins and currants (which is actually more traditional) or even apricots. Or leave them out and double the amount of nuts
• Use other nuts like walnuts or almonds instead of pecans. Or leave them out and double the amount of dried fruit.
• Traditionally Dutch Christmas bread has succade in it, but personally I don’t like it, so I leave it out. But by all means add some if you do like it!

No Christmas breakfast without this Christmas bread here in this household! We all love it! And I hope you will too. It is

festive – packed with nuts and dried fruit – subtly sweet – a healthier option to a traditional Dutch Christmas bread – and oh so delicious!

We love everything bread! This Christmas bread, my holiday banana bread, these cute little pumpkin buns, my nuts and seeds bread or this carrot coconut bread.

Christmas bread

A traditional Dutch nuts and fruit bread filled with an almond paste eaten around the holidays. A dusting of powdered sugar makes it even more festive. This bread is always on our Christmas (and Easter) morning breakfast table!

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 20 minutes mins

Cook Time 35 minutes mins

Resting time (1st-2nd-3rd rise) 1 hour hr 45 minutes mins

Total Time 2 hours hrs 40 minutes mins

Course Bread, Breakfast, Brunch

Cuisine Holidays

Servings 12 slices

Ingredients

  

Almond paste ingredients

• 75 gr almond meal
• 75 gr dates (chopped in a food processor)(or sub honey, Stevia or (coconut) sugar)
• ½ tsp lemon zest (or sub lime or orange zest)

Bread ingredients

• 200 gr white whole wheat flour (or use ½ regular whole wheat flour, ½ all purpose flour. Spelt flour works really good as well)
• 50 gr almond flour
• 135 gr lukewarm almond milk (or sub other type of milk except for coconut milk)
• 7 gr dry yeast
• 1 egg yolk (I wouldn't replace it with a flax seed egg; the bread won't hold together)
• 6 gr sea salt
• 1 tsp cinnamon (or use gingerbread spice* to give it an extra holiday hint)
• 40 gr margarine/ vegan butter (or sub regular butter if you prefer that)
• 15 gr flavored coconut sugar (mix 14 gr of (coconut) sugar with 1 tsp of orange or lemon zest and preferably refrigerate overnight)(you can also just use plain sugar)
• 60 gr pecans (broken in half of roughly chopped)(or usb other nuts)
• 60 gr dried cranberries (soaked)(or use other dried fruit)

Optional:

• 20 gr melted (vegan) butter (for brushing on the bread)
• powdered Stevia or Xylitol (or regular icing sugar for dusting the bread with)

Instructions

 

Almond paste:

• When using dates: start by chopping up the dates in a high speed blender (a food processor). Once it becomes a paste transfer it to a mixing bowl and add almond meal and lemon zest. Knead until everything is combined and roll it out into a sausage a little shorter than the length of your Christmas bread (approx. 10-11 inches/ 25-27 cm). Roll it in plastic wrap and leave it overnight in the refrigerator. It will actually keep for over a week and the taste will develop so making it ahead of time is not a bad thing at all!
• When using honey instead of dates you can skip the food processor step and immediately add honey, almond meal and zest to a mixing bowl.

Flavored sugar:

• I usually make this at the same time I make the almond paste. It is nothing more that combine sugar and zest and storing it in a container in the refrigerator where the flavors can develop. When pressed for time (or if you forgot) you can skip this step and just use sugar and zest.

Soaking the dried fruit:

• To soften the dried fruit a bit, soak them in warm water for 15 minutes. Either do this the night before and leave them in the sieve over a glass to catch the water or drain the water and immediately dry them off with a towel. If you are pressed for time, you can skip this step.

Bread:

• To develop the yeast, combine half of the whole wheat flour, yeast, egg yolk and the milk in a mixing bowl using a large wooden spoon. Let it rest for 20 minutes.
• Now add the rest of the ingredients except for the dried fruit and nuts. So the rest of the whole wheat flour, almond flour salt, cinnamon or gingerbread spice, butter and sugar. Knead the dough by repeatedly stretching it out until it is smooth and velvety. It is ok if it is still a bit sticky.

  Put it back into the mixing bowl and cover it with a tea towel for another 20 minutes.
• Add the cranberries and pecans to the dough. Punch down the dough and make it flat. Place the dried fruit and nuts on top and roll up the dough. By doing this you make sure the add-ins are enclosed in the dough and will mostly be on the inside and not sticking out (too much) on the outside.

  Put the dough back into the mixing bowl, cover it with the tea towel and let it rise for another 20 minutes.
• With a rolling pin roll out the dough. The dough should have a dimension of approximately 14×10 inches/ 35×25 cm. Now it is time to incorporate the almond paste. Make sure the edges of the rolled out dough are slightly thicker than the center. I will tell you why in a second. First place the almond paste sausage in the middle of the dough, then fold over the dough and make sure the 2 thicker sides are touching each other (so don't place the edges on top of each other, but in front of one another).

  Now press down on the dough between were the almond paste is and the thicker part of the dough.

  Now place the bread on a greased and lightly floured baking tray so you don't have to move or touch it anymore.

  Cover it with a tea towel and let it rise for 45-60 minutes. You can check if the dough has risen enough by making a light dent in the dough with your finger. If the dent disappears your dough isn't ready yet and you will have to give it another 15 minutes.
• During the last rise, preheat the oven to 380F/190C.
• Slide the bread in the oven and bake it for 35 minutes. If you notice in the end it is getting too dark, lower the heat to 160C.
• Let the bread cool off for a few minutes before brushing it with some melted butter ( optional) to let it shine.

  When it is cooled off completely you can dust it with powdered sugar/xylitol for a snowy effect (also optional)

Notes

*gingerbread spice mix

 

Nutritional information:

the information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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