25 Days of Christmas Recipes, Day 21: Apple and Dried Fruit Christmas Tree Tear-and-Share Rolls

Day 21 and we’ve reached a more involved Christmas Day Buffet type of festive cookery. This bread came, very simply, from the thought– what if, tear and share loaf but Christmas Tree shaped? It then developed into a spiced fruit bread crossed with a cinnamon roll situation– but as a tear and share Christmas Tree. It is incredibly rich and you certainly wouldn’t be able to eat much but the bit you had, would taste great. And, as a great bonus, it’s a real showstopper on a Christmas Buffet table.

APPLE, DRIED FRUIT AND CINNAMON FILLING:

In a microwave proof bowl add 5 PEELED AND CORED MEDIUM COOKING APPLES  (CUT INTO 1CM CUBES), 1TSP CINNAMON, ZEST OF 1 ORANGE, 3TBSP BROWN SUGAR, 2TBSP CASTER SUGAR, 2TBSP RAISINS and 2TBSP SULTANAS. Cover with cling film and cook in the microwave on high for three minutes. Stir and then put back in for another three minutes. Check whether it is soft and, if not, put back in for another thirty seconds and check again. Repeat until done to your liking. Set aside to cool whilst you get on with the dough.

Bread Ingredients:

DOUGH:

• 500g Strong White Bread Flour
• 20g Fresh Yeast or 8g Dried Yeast
• 220ml Warm Milk
• 60g Icing Sugar
• 50g Salted Butter
• 2 Medium Eggs, plus 1 Egg Yolk, beaten
• Pinch Salt
• Prepared Apple Filling

ICING:

• 120g Icing Sugar
• Greek Yoghurt
• Food Colouring: Green and Brown (Yellow and Red)

Method:

1. Mix your yeast into your milk. Sprinkle over a handful of your flour to cover the surface of your milk. Leave in a warm area for 10-15 minutes until cracks appear on the surface of the flour.
2. Rub your butter into the rest of the flour until the butter can no longer be seen and the mixture looks like fine breadcrumbs.
3. Beat the eggs with a pinch of salt and the icing sugar.
4. When your milk is ready, start to mix the remainder of your flour/butter into it as well as your egg mixture. Mix until a dough has formed (it will be quite sticky. You can do this in a stand-mixer if you have one).
5. Knead until the dough has become smooth on a floured surface or in a stand mixer. Test whether it’s ready by using the ‘Window Pane’ technique: take a small piece of dough and start to slowly stretch it in your fingers. Hold it up to a light and when you can see the impression of your finger through it, without it tearing, your dough is ready. If it’s not ready yet, continue to knead and test again, repeating until it is.
6. Using vegetable or sunflower oil, oil a large clean bowl. Place your dough inside and cover with a clean, damp tea towel. Leave in a warm area for 1 hour- 1 ½ hours, or until it’s doubled in size.
7. On a floured surface, pour your risen dough. Roll out with a floured rolling pin until you have a 1cm thick rectangle. It should be around 35cm by 50cm.
8. Spread your cooled apple filling over the dough, leaving a 2cm blank edge around the filling.
9. Starting at the long end in front of you, roll your dough slowly forwards so it forms a spiral (like a Swiss Roll).
10. Line a large tray with a silicon mat or baking paper held down with butter.
11. Slice the ends off of your dough. Slice the remainder into 14, 3cm-thick slices.
12. Place 1 slice at the top of your tray. Underneath it put two more. Then three under this. Four under this. One, centred under this. Finally finish with your last one directly underneath the previous one. It should resemble a Christmas tree and stump. You can bake off your extra
13. Cover with your damp tea-towel and leave to rise again for 45 minutes.
14. Towards the end of your rising time preheat your oven to 220 degrees C/Gas Mark 7.
15. Put your bread into the oven and throw some water onto the bottom of the oven (if you have a gas oven, place a tray at the bottom of the oven when preheating to throw your water onto). Bake for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown and sounding hollow inside when tapped.
16. Allow to cool.
17. Make your icing by adding a tablespoon of Greek Yoghurt to 120g icing sugar and mixing it. Continue adding a tablespoon of Yoghurt and mixing until you end up with a thick icing consistency. Split it into two separate bowls—85 percent in one bowl and 15 percent in the other. Colour your 85 percent green and your 15 percent brown.
18. Spoon stripes of your green icing over the top of your first four rows of buns, and the bottom two buns with your brown. Allow to set and then serve.
19. Enjoy.