This Italian braided bread is a delightful blend of sweet and aromatic flavors, featuring a soft, enriched dough filled with grated apples, sugar, raisins, pine nuts, and cinnamon. The bread is beautifully braided, creating an impressive presentation perfect for any occasion. Once baked, it's finished with a brush of milk and cinnamon, and a sprinkling of almonds, then dusted with vanilla powdered sugar for an extra touch of sweetness.
Why You'll Love This:
- Comforting Aroma: The scent of apples and cinnamon baking together is irresistible.
- Sweet and Nutty Filling: The combination of apples, raisins, and pine nuts offers a delightful texture and taste.
- Artistic Presentation: The braided shape makes it as beautiful as it is delicious.
- Perfect for Any Occasion: Ideal for a festive holiday table, a special breakfast, or as a comforting snack.
- Homemade Goodness: The joy of baking from scratch brings a heartwarming touch to your kitchen.
Ingredients:
For the Dough:
- 600 g flour
- 15 g dry yeast
- 250 ml milk
- 2 eggs
- 100 g sugar
- A pinch of salt
For the Filling:
- 7/8 apples, grated
- 5 tablespoons sugar
- A handful of pine nuts
- A handful of raisins
- Cinnamon to taste
Directions:
- In a bowl, sift the flour and add salt.
- Dissolve the yeast with sugar in lukewarm milk and pour over the flour.
- Knead the dough, gradually adding eggs and the milk mixture, until it becomes elastic and easy to work with. Knead for about 4-5 minutes.
- For the filling, mix grated apples, sugar, cinnamon, and raisins. Combine well and add pine nuts. Refrigerate the mixture.
- Let the dough rise for about 2 hours.
- Divide the dough into 4 pieces. Roll each into a thin rectangle, brush with oil, and spread the filling over it.
- Roll each rectangle into a log and braid two logs together to form a 30 cm braid. Join the ends to form a ring.
- Place the bread on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Let it rise for another 20 minutes.
- Brush with a mixture of milk and cinnamon, and sprinkle with almonds.
- Bake in a preheated oven at 170°C (340°F) for 40-50 minutes or until golden brown.
- Serve dusted with vanilla powdered sugar.
Enjoy this delightful Italian Apple and Cinnamon Braided Bread, a sweet and aromatic treat that's sure to be a hit with family and friends! 🍏🍞🌿✨