Christmas Wreath Brioches
Soft and fluffy Christmas wreath brioche made with simple ingredients and natural dyes. An easy holiday bread that looks festive and comes together step by step.
Ingredients
- 2½ Cups All-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon Active dry yeast
- 2 Tbsps Granulated sugar
- ⅓ Cup Milk (cold or room temperature)
- 2 Eggs (I used large)
- Pinch Salt
- ⅓ Cup Unsalted butter (softened)
- Red and green dyes (read note*)
Instructions
To make the Dough:
- Add all the ingredients to the stand mixer except the butter. Mix on low until everything comes together. The dough will look a bit dry at this stage. It won’t stick to the sides, but it might not look perfectly smooth yet.
- Add the softened butter and keep mixing on low until it’s fully incorporated. The dough will relax and soften.
- Once the butter is absorbed, raise the speed to medium and let it mix for at least 5 minutes. You can go up to 8 minutes max. The dough should look smooth, stretchy, and soft.
To color the dough
- Take out about 125 g of dough and set it aside. This will be your bow dough. Add a little beetroot powder to this small piece and knead it by hand until the color is even. You can use red food dye instead of beetroot powder of course.
- Color the remaining dough with green spirulina or any green dye you prefer. I let the mixer do this part since it’s a bigger portion.
- Once both colors are fully mixed in, place each dough in a lightly greased bowl. Cover them and let them rise for 1 to 2 hours, or until they double in size.
Shape the dough
- Divide the red dough into 5 pieces and roll each into a ball. Flatten each ball into a small circle, make your cuts, then fold the middle sections underneath to form the bow shape. Wrap the long strip around the center and pinch the back to secure it.
- Divide the green dough into 5 equal portions and shape each into a ball. Roll each one into a thin oval, then roll it up into a tight little cylinder. Pinch the seam so it stays closed.
- Cut each cylinder into 3 strips, leaving the top attached. Braid the strips, flatten the uncut top, then bring the braid around into a circle. Pinch the ends together to close the wreath.
- Once your wreaths are ready, add the bows, press them down a bit, and place all the shaped wreaths and bows on a baking sheet lined with parchment.
Rest and bake
- Cover them lightly and let them rise again for about 30 minutes. They should look a bit puffier but still hold their shape. At 15 minutes into resting, preheat your oven at 180℃ (356 °F). Turn on fan, and bottom element, make sure you turn off the top element so they don't brown much.
- Right before baking, brush each wreath and bow with a little milk or egg wash for a shiny, golden finish. Bake at 180 °C (356 °F) (in the middle rack) until they turn lightly golden. Depending on your oven, this usually takes around 15 minutes for small brioches.
- Let them cool on a rack so the crumb stays soft. You can dust them with a bit of powdered sugar, brush them with butter, or however you like brioches.
Notes
- You can use food dye or natural dye like I did. I used beetroot powder and green spirulina. If you want to use food coloring, try to go for gel based colors instead of water-based because they are more pigmented and won't mess up the consistency of the dough. If you only have water-based it's totally fine, you might need to add a tiny bit more flour of you add too much.
- Nutrition info is estimated and may vary based on ingredients and portions. For the most accurate details, consider using a nutrition tool or checking our full Nutrition Information Disclaimer.
Nutrition
Serving: 1ServingCalories: 390kcalCarbohydrates: 51.8gProtein: 9.4gFat: 15.7g
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