Sweet Wreath

The Sweet Wreath is a Christmas treat that resembles the shape of a decorative garland. Here is the recipe to prepare this festive dessert.

Ingredients

• 500 g of all-purpose flour
• 120 g of granulated sugar
• 100 g of soft butter
• 25 g of fresh yeast
• 200 ml of lukewarm milk
• 2 eggs
• Grated zest of 1 lemon
• 1 pinch of salt
• Raisins, candied fruit, and orange peel (to taste)
• Powdered sugar for decorating

Preparation

1. Dissolve the yeast in lukewarm milk, making sure it’s not too hot, otherwise, you’ll kill the yeast.
2. In a large bowl, mix the flour with the sugar, soft butter, eggs, milk with dissolved yeast, grated lemon zest, and the pinch of salt.
3. Knead until you get a smooth and homogeneous mixture.
4. If you wish to add raisins, candied fruit, or orange peel, incorporate them into the dough now.
5. Let the dough rise in a warm place, covered with a kitchen towel, until it doubles in volume (it will take about 1-2 hours).
6. Once risen, transfer the dough to a floured surface and shape it into a long strand.
7. Fold the strand on itself to form a wreath and lay it on a baking tray lined with parchment paper. Make sure to seal the ends well.
8. Let the wreath rise for another 30-40 minutes.
9. Preheat the oven to 180 °C.
10. Bake the wreath in the preheated oven for about 30-35 minutes or until golden brown.
11. Allow to cool and then dust with powdered sugar before serving.

Curiosity

The sweet wreath can be personalized with different types of edible Christmas decorations, such as colored sugar sprinkles, whole almonds, or hazelnuts. Sometimes it is also enriched with a lemon glaze or with nuts before cooking to give an extra touch of flavor and crunchiness. Every region of Italy has its variants, inspired by local traditional recipes.