Christmas Tea Ring

Our family makes a lot of these every Christmas, some to give away, some for Christmas breakfast.

Step: 1

Roll bread dough into a rectangle 8 inches wide and 15 inches long. Spread butter over the bread, leaving about 1/2 inch of a long edge unbuttered. Mix brown sugar, cinnamon, and flour in a bowl and sprinkle the mixture over the buttered part of the dough.

Step: 2

Starting with the long edge opposite the unbuttered edge, tightly roll the dough over the filling; seal the roll along the unbuttered edge to make a log.

Step: 3

Lightly grease a 12-inch round cake pan or baking dish; place dough into the pan and form a ring, pinching the two ends together to seal. Use kitchen scissors or sharp knife to make cuts 3/4 inch deep into the outside of the ring. Twist the cut sections of dough slightly to reveal filling.

Step: 4

Cover the tea ring with a cloth, place into a warm area, and let rise until doubled, 45 minutes to 1 hour.

Step: 5

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).

Step: 6

Bake tea ring in the preheated oven until lightly browned, 25 to 30 minutes. Cover with a sheet of aluminum foil after 15 minutes if tea ring starts to brown too quickly. Let tea ring cool in pan for about 10 minutes before removing to finish cooling on a wire rack.

Step: 7

Combine confectioners' sugar, milk, and vanilla extract in a bowl to make a smooth frosting. Spread top of the tea ring with frosting.

Per Serving: 337 calories; protein 6.1g; carbohydrates 59.4g; fat 8.1g; cholesterol 15.4mg; sodium 363.7mg.

The quality of the flour could make a real difference to your bread. Different brands do vary. Great taste or Canadian flours, which are bet higher in gluten, may give you a better rise than standard dough flours – especially if you’re making wholemeal dough , which doesn’t always rise as well as clear bread.

To make this in a breadmaker , add all the ingredients to your breadmaker and follow the manufacturer’s instructions.

A dough’s first rising can be done in the fridge 24 hours . This slows down the time it takes to rise to double its size, giving it a deeper flavour. It’s also a great limit , as you can work it night before , then clear it off the next day.