This Festive Christmas Bread is the truly luscious, fragrant loaf you need to celebrate the season! It’s sweet, soft, and loaded with all the best holiday flavors like citrus zest, vanilla, and beautiful dried fruits and nuts. Trust me, baking this is an experience that fills your home with pure holiday magic. This beautiful bread is a game-changer for Christmas morning or a cozy afternoon treat, and it’s surprisingly simple to create!

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

Pure Holiday Magic: The combination of orange zest, vanilla, and warm spices instantly makes your kitchen smell like Christmas morning. It’s truly a sensory experience!
A Beautiful Centerpiece: You can easily braid or shape this dough, turning a simple loaf into a stunning, decorative bread that looks gorgeous on any holiday table.
Soft, Pillowy Texture: This isn’t a dense bread! It’s a sweet, tender, and slightly brioche-like loaf that’s perfect for slicing and serving.
Easily Customizable: Not a fan of raisins? Swap them! This recipe welcomes your favorite festive mix-ins, from pistachios to cherries.

Ingredients

All you need to make this glorious Festive Christmas Bread is a little patience (that rising time is worth it!) and some pantry staples that bring on the holiday cheer. Gather up these essentials:

All-Purpose Flour: This is the base of our soft, beautiful dough.
Granulated Sugar: Just enough sweetness to make it a holiday treat, without being overly sweet.
Salt: Essential for balancing the flavors and controlling the yeast’s action. Don’t skip it!
Active Dry Yeast: Our power ingredient that gives the bread its amazing rise and light texture.
Warm Milk: Contributes richness and tenderness to the dough. Make sure it’s just warm, not hot!
Warm Water: Used to activate the yeast and start the magical foaming process.
Unsalted Butter: Adding this softened butter makes the final bread incredibly tender and flavorful.
Large Eggs: They enrich the dough, giving it a beautiful yellow color and structure.
Vanilla Extract: The perfect touch of warmth and aromatic sweetness.
Orange Zest: This is a must for that bright, signature festive citrus flavor that cuts through the richness.
Mixed Dried Fruits (Raisins, Cranberries, Apricots): Provides pops of chewy texture and sweet-tart flavor—use your favorite holiday mix!
Chopped Almonds or Walnuts: Adds a lovely crunch and nutty depth to every bite.
Honey or Maple Syrup: This is brushed on warm for that incredible, glossy, professional-looking glaze.
Powdered Sugar: The perfect snowy finish once the bread has cooled completely.

Note: A complete list of ingredients with precise measurements will be right under this article in the printable recipe card!

How to Make the Festive Christmas Bread

Making a yeast bread from scratch feels like a big accomplishment, but trust me, this process is straightforward and totally fun!

Step 1: Proof the Yeast (Get it Foamy!)

In a small bowl, whisk together the warm water, yeast, and just a pinch of sugar. Let this mixture sit quietly for 5–10 minutes. When it gets nice and foamy and bubbly, you know your yeast is alive and ready to work its magic!

Step 2: Mix the Dry and Wet Ingredients

In your biggest mixing bowl, combine the flour, the remaining sugar, and the salt. Give them a quick stir. Next, pour the beautiful, foamy yeast mixture into the center of the dry ingredients, along with the warm milk, softened butter, eggs, vanilla extract, and that essential orange zest. Mix everything until a soft dough comes together.

Step 3: Knead Until Smooth

Transfer the dough to a lightly floured surface (your kitchen counter is perfect!) and get ready for the best part. Knead it enthusiastically for about 8–10 minutes. You’ll know it’s ready when it’s smooth, bouncy, and beautifully elastic.

Step 4: Fold in the Festive Mix-Ins

Now for the fun part! Add your mixed dried fruits and nuts to the dough. Knead gently for just a minute or two to ensure they are evenly distributed throughout the dough.

Step 5: First Rise (The Magic Happens)

Place the dough in a lightly greased bowl, cover it snugly with a clean towel, and find the coziest, warmest spot in your kitchen. Let it rise for 1 to 1.5 hours, or until it has happily doubled in size.

Step 6: Shape and Second Rise

Gently punch down the risen dough to release the air. Now, get creative! Shape it into a lovely round loaf, or impress everyone by braiding it into a festive shape. Place your gorgeous creation on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Cover it again and let it rest for a second, shorter rise of about 30 minutes.

Step 7: Bake to Golden Perfection

Preheat your oven to $350^{\circ}\text{F}$ ($175^{\circ}\text{C}$). Bake the bread for 25–30 minutes. It’s ready when it’s a beautiful golden brown and sounds hollow when you tap it gently on the bottom.

Step 8: Glaze and Dust

While the bread is still warm from the oven, brush the top generously with honey or maple syrup—this gives it that beautiful, irresistible sheen. Once it has cooled completely, finish it off with a light, snowy dusting of powdered sugar. Slice and enjoy!

Pro Tips for Making the Recipe

Warm is Key, Not Hot: Your milk and water must be warm (around $110^{\circ}\text{F}$ or $43^{\circ}\text{C}$) to activate the yeast. If they’re too hot, they’ll kill the yeast, and your bread won’t rise!
Don’t Over-Knead the Mix-Ins: Once you add the dried fruits and nuts, knead just long enough to distribute them. Over-kneading can crush the fruits and make the dough tough.
The Tap Test: To be certain your bread is fully baked, remove it from the sheet and tap the bottom. If it sounds hollow, it’s done! If it sounds dull, give it another 5 minutes in the oven.
Best Place for Rising: If your kitchen is cool, you can place the covered bowl in a slightly warm (but turned off) oven, or next to a sunny window.

How to Serve

This bread is so wonderfully versatile! Here are a few ways to enjoy this festive treat:

Classic Toast: Slice it thick and lightly toast it, slathered with a little sweet cream butter or your favorite holiday jam.
Brunch Board Star: Serve slices alongside fresh fruit, yogurt, and a hot cup of coffee or tea for an elegant holiday brunch spread.
French Toast Upgrade: Got leftovers? Turn slices into the most incredible Festive French Toast you’ve ever had, maybe even topped with a little dollop of whipped cream!

Make Ahead and Storage

Storing Leftovers

Store leftover slices of the bread at room temperature in an airtight container or bread bag for up to 3 days. The texture stays soft and tender!

Freezing

Yes, you can absolutely freeze this bread! Allow it to cool completely, then wrap the entire loaf or individual slices tightly in plastic wrap, followed by a layer of foil. Freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight at room temperature before serving.

Reheating

To enjoy that “freshly baked” experience, wrap slices loosely in foil and reheat in a $300^{\circ}\text{F}$ ($150^{\circ}\text{C}$) oven for about 5–10 minutes, or just a quick 30 seconds in the microwave.

FAQs

1. Can I use rapid-rise (instant) yeast instead of active dry yeast?

Yes, you can! If you use instant yeast, you can skip the first step of “proofing” the yeast in water. Simply add the instant yeast directly to the dry ingredients (flour, sugar, salt) and then proceed with adding the remaining wet ingredients. The final rise times may be slightly shorter, so watch the dough closely.

2. What can I substitute for the dried fruits and nuts?

This recipe is very forgiving! You can swap the mix-ins for chocolate chips, chopped candied ginger, poppy seeds, or even small pieces of marzipan for an extra European twist. Just keep the total volume of mix-ins about the same.

3. My dough didn’t double in size after the first rise—what happened?

The most common reason for a failed rise is the water or milk was too hot and killed the yeast. It could also be that your kitchen is too cold. Try moving the dough to a warmer spot, and give it another hour. If there’s still no significant change, your yeast might be old or inactive, and you may need to start over with fresh yeast.

4. Can I make this dough in a stand mixer?

Absolutely! Using a stand mixer with the dough hook attachment makes the kneading process a breeze. Mix on low speed for about 6–8 minutes until the dough pulls cleanly away from the sides of the bowl and is smooth and elastic. This saves your arms for holiday gift wrapping!