With only a couple of sleeps until Christmas, this raspberry vanilla wreath bread makes a stunning centerpiece for holiday morning. If you know how to make cinnamon rolls, wreath bread is the natural next step: we roll a sweet yeast dough with raspberry jam and cinnamon-sugar, slice it into joined rolls, and arrange the log into a festive wreath. Finished with a vanilla butter glaze, these sweet rolls pair beautifully with coffee, tea, or hot cocoa and are easy to share with family and friends.
Drizzled with a simple vanilla butter glaze, this raspberry vanilla wreath bread is both decorative and delicious — a wonderful recipe to make ahead and serve warm on Christmas morning. Merry Christmas and happy baking!
How to Make Wreath Bread
The dough: This recipe uses a basic sweet yeast dough that is soft, slightly tacky, and easy to work with. After mixing and kneading, it needs a short rise (about 40 minutes) until it doubles in size.
The filling: Roll the dough into a rectangle and spread it with softened butter, leaving a 1-inch border along the edges. Spread raspberry preserves over the butter, also leaving a 1-inch border, then sprinkle evenly with cinnamon sugar. Carefully roll the dough into a tight log and pinch the seam to seal.
Shaping the wreath: Transfer the sealed log to a parchment-lined rimmed baking sheet and place a small oven-safe ramekin in the center as a guide. With the seam side down, shape the log into a circle around the ramekin. Starting about 1/2 inch from the outer edge, use a sharp knife to slice the log into 1 1/4-inch sections, leaving the top edge connected so the rounds stay joined. Rotate alternating rolls on their sides so they overlap, forming the wreath pattern.
Baking and finishing: Cover the shaped wreath loosely with plastic and let it rise in a warm place until puffy, about 30 minutes. Bake until golden brown, allow to cool briefly, then remove the ramekin. Whisk a glaze of melted butter, vanilla, milk, and powdered sugar and drizzle over the warm bread. Let the glaze set before slicing and serving.
More holiday bread recipes to try:
- Chocolate Hazelnut Star Bread
- Cinnamon Sugar Star Bread
Raspberry Vanilla Wreath Bread
Rating: 5 from 5 reviews
- Author: Laura Kasavan
- Prep Time: 40 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Total Time: 2 hours 15 minutes (includes rise time)
- Yield: 1 wreath bread, 12 servings
- Category: Breakfast
- Method: Bake
- Cuisine: American
Description
Raspberry vanilla wreath bread is an elegant, shareable sweet bread perfect for Christmas morning or any holiday brunch. Soft, buttery dough is layered with raspberry preserves and a cinnamon-sugar blend, baked as a connected ring, and finished with a vanilla butter glaze.
Ingredients
Dough
- 3 1/2 cups (490 g) flour, divided
- 1 package (7 g) instant yeast
- 1/4 cup (50 g) sugar
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 cup (240 g) low-fat milk
- 1/4 cup (56 g) unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 1 large egg, at room temperature
Filling
- 1/4 cup (56 g) unsalted butter, softened
- 1/3 cup (106 g) raspberry preserves
- 1/2 cup (100 g) sugar
- 2 tsp cinnamon
Glaze
- 1 Tbsp (14 g) unsalted butter, melted
- Pinch of salt
- 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 Tbsp milk
- 3/4 cup (90 g) powdered sugar, sifted
Instructions
- In a large mixer bowl, combine 2 cups (280 g) of the flour, the yeast, sugar, and salt. Mix on low to combine.
- Warm the milk in a microwave-safe measuring cup for 45 seconds to 1 minute until very warm (about 120–130°F). Add the warm milk, room-temperature butter, and egg to the flour mixture and mix on low until combined. Add the remaining 1 1/2 cups (210 g) flour and mix.
- Switch to a dough hook and knead the dough for about 4 minutes, until it is smooth and elastic. The dough should feel tacky but not stick to your fingers; if it’s too sticky, add flour 1 tablespoon at a time while kneading.
- Place the dough in a large bowl coated with nonstick spray, cover with plastic, and let rise in a warm place until doubled in size, about 40 minutes. To check, lightly flour two fingers and press into the center—if the indentation remains the dough has doubled.
- Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment and set a small oven-safe ramekin in the center. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and roll it to an 18 x 12-inch rectangle.
- Spread the dough with softened butter, leaving a 1-inch border. Spread the raspberry preserves over the butter, also leaving a 1-inch border. Mix the sugar and cinnamon together and sprinkle evenly over the preserves. Carefully roll the dough into a tight log and pinch the seam to seal.
- Place the log seam-side down on the prepared sheet and shape it into a circle around the center ramekin. Starting about 1/2 inch from the outer edge, slice the log into 1 1/4-inch sections, leaving the tops connected. Alternate turning each slice on its side so they overlap and form a wreath.
- Cover loosely with plastic and let the shaped wreath rise in a warm place until puffy, about 30 minutes. Preheat the oven to 350°F while it rests.
- Bake for 25–30 minutes, until golden brown. Remove from oven and let cool on a wire rack for 20 minutes before removing the ramekin.
- For the glaze, whisk together the melted butter, pinch of salt, vanilla, milk, and sifted powdered sugar until smooth. Drizzle over the cooled bread and let the glaze set before serving.
Notes
This recipe was inspired by Sally’s Baking Addiction and The Kitchen.
