Happy Belated Easter! I made this elegant citrus twist bread for breakfast over Easter weekend. My daughter described it as similar to panettone but without the dried fruit. My son agreed but stated that this was much better. 🙂 It was very moist and tender.
This recipe was adapted from Food 52.com, contributed by Samantha Seneviratne. I used Meyer lemon zest and omitted the grapefruit zest. I also modified the method.
Because of the rise times, I prepared the dough through the first rise two days in advance and completed the second rise and baked it one day prior to serving. We ate it reheated- which was essential. The original recipe suggests sprinkling the top with confectioners’ sugar or drizzling it with glaze. I opted for the simple sprinkling of confectioners’ sugar but know it would also be delicious with the glaze. Lovely.
Yield: 8 servings
For the Dough:
- 1/3 cup warm whole milk (110°F) (I used whole milk)
- 2 teaspoons active dry yeast
- 5 tablespoons granulated sugar, divided
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 large egg, plus 1 large egg yolk, lightly beaten, at room temperature
- 4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) butter, at room temperature, cut into cubes
For the Filling and to Finish the Bread:
- freshly grated orange zest from 3 to 4 oranges (about 3 tablespoons)
- freshly grated zest from 3 Meyer lemons (about 2 tablespoons)
- 6 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into cubes, at room temperature
- 1 pinch kosher salt
- 1 large egg, beaten
- confectioners’ sugar, for dusting, optional
To Make the Dough:
- In a small bowl or liquid measuring cup, combine the warm milk, yeast, and 1 teaspoon of the granulated sugar. Set aside until foamy, about 5 minutes.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer with the dough hook attached, or a large bowl, combine the remaining sugar, flour, and salt.
- With the mixer on low, add the yeast mixture, the egg, and the egg yolk, and mix until smooth and elastic, about 5 minutes. (Alternatively, knead this mixture by hand on a clean work surface.)
- Add the butter, a bit at a time, and continue to mix or knead the dough until the butter is fully incorporated and the dough is smooth, another 5 minutes. The dough will be sticky. If you’re doing this by hand, you can use a bench scraper to help scoop the dough up as you knead it. It may look like it’s never going to incorporate, but keep kneading and it will.
- Once the dough is fully incorporated, gather it into a neat ball and place in a lightly greased bowl.
- Cover the bowl with plastic wrap or a kitchen towel and set aside to rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1 to 2 hours. (I used a proofing oven.) After the dough has doubled, you can punch it down, wrap it well and refrigerate for up to 2 to 3 days. (I refrigerated it overnight.)
To Make the Filling and to Finish the Bread:
- In a small bowl, combine the citrus zest, sugar, and salt together using your fingers to release some of the citrus oils. Add the butter and mix until well combined. (I reserved the soft room-temperature butter and spread it over the rolled out dough instead.)
- Tip the dough out onto a very lightly floured surface and knead it once or twice to expel the air. Roll it out into an 8-inch by 17-inch rectangle.
- Spread the filling evenly over the surface of the bread.
- Starting from one of the long ends, roll the dough up into a tight coil. Pinch the ends to seal the roll.
- Using a sharp knife, cut the dough in half lengthwise.
- Transfer the two pieces of dough to a piece of parchment paper, cut sides up. Pinch the two pieces together at one end and then carefully twist the two pieces of dough together. Take care not to stretch the dough and to keep the cut sides up.
- Coil the twist around to make a wreath and connect the ends, making sure to continue the twisting pattern.
- Transfer the wreath, on the parchment, to a rimmed baking sheet. Cover lightly with plastic wrap and set aside in a warm place to rise. (I used a proofing oven.) It could take up to 2 hours for the wreath to puff so it’s better to keep an eye on the dough rather than the clock. You’ll know it’s ready when it looks puffed and and it rises back slowly when you gently press it with your finger.
- Towards the end of the rise time, preheat the oven to 375°F, preferably on convection.
- Carefully brush the wreath with the egg wash.
- Bake until puffed and golden brown, 18 minutes, on convection, or up to 30 minutes in a standard oven. A thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the bread should register between 190°F and 200°F.
- Transfer the wreath to a rack to cool slightly. Serve warm or at room temperature with a light dusting of confectioners’ sugar.
Notes:
The twist bread can also be drizzled with a simple glaze of room temperature cream cheese mixed with some warm milk and confectioners’ sugar.
The bread can be stored at room temperature in an airtight container for 2 days or frozen for up to 1 month.
thebrookcook 