Maple Pecan Wreath Bread
The Maple Pecan Wreath Bread is artfully designed to look like a holiday wreath and is overflowing with a rich maple pecan filling. A simple maple glaze is drizzled on top making it the perfect finishing touch.
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Our easy-to-follow instructions will give you the confidence you need for holiday bread baking. Create a new tradition for your family by serving our gorgeous homemade bread wreath on Christmas morning or Christmas Eve morning for breakfast. It's also perfect for a Thanksgiving or Christmas Brunch!
Ingredients for Maple Pecan Wreath Bread
Ingredients for the Dough
- All-purpose Flour - You don't even need special bread flour for this recipe!
- Fast-acting Dry Yeast - Just 1 envelope. Make sure your yeast is not expired. Always store your yeast in a cool, dry location away from a heat source such as the cooktop. I also really love this instant yeast that doesn't need to sit for 5 to 10 minutes to proof.
- Milk - Heated to about 110º F.
- Maple Syrup - Real maple syrup is a cornerstone for this recipe and is absolutely necessary for the flavor.
- Egg - A large egg is best for this recipe.
- Butter - Your butter will need to be melted. Real butter is preferred for the flavor, but if you need to use a dairy substitute it will work.
- Salt - It's amazing how much a little salt improves the flavor of your bread. Use regular kosher table salt, not coarse salt.
Ingredients for the Filling
- Butter - For this part of the recipe, your butter needs to be at room temeprature.
- Chopped Pecans - In a pinch, you can use slivered almonds or chopped walnuts in this recipe.
- Maple Syrup - You can usually find real maple syrup in your local grocery store where the pancake syrup is kept.
- Light Brown Sugar - I always pack my brown sugar in the measuring cup. If you only have dark brown sugar, it will provide more of a molasses flavor, but will work.
- Ground Cinnamon - A high quality cinnamon will make a difference!
Ingredients for the Maple Glaze
- Powdered Sugar - This is sometimes called confectioner's sugar or icing sugar depending on where you live.
- Maple Syrup - If you cannot find maple syrup anywhere else in your home town, you can sometimes find it in specialty gift stores or you can certainly order some from Amazon.
- Milk - Room tempterature is fine for the glaze.
How to Make Maple Pecan Wreath Bread
Step-By-Step Instructions for the Bread Dough
Step 1 - In a small bowl, add in the milk, maple syrup, and yeast. Whisk to dissolve the yeast. Allow this mixture to sit for 5 to 10 minutes until foamy. This tests the yeast to make sure it is active and gives it time to start working.
Step 2 - Pour the yeast mixture into a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook. Add in the egg, salt, one cup of flour, and melted butter. Beat all of this until it is combined.
Step 3 - Slowly add the remaining flour. Knead the dough with the hook or by hand for 5-8 minutes until it pulls away from the sides of the bowl and becomes smooth.
Step 4 - Place the dough in a greased bowl and cover loosely with plastic wrap or drape a tea towel over the bowl. Put the dough in a warm, draft-free place until doubled, about 1 to 2 hours.
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Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set this aside so that it is ready to go. When the dough is almost finished rising, make the filling. Add the butter, maple syrup, brown sugar, and cinnamon to a medium bowl. Whisk until combined and set aside.
Assembling the Maple Pecan Wreath Bread with Filling
Step 1 - Place the dough on a lightly floured surface. Knead just until the air bubbles are removed. Then, roll the dough out evenly into a large rectangle.
Step 2 - Evenly spread the filling, leaving about ½ inch of the dough around the edges bare. Sprinkle the chopped pecans over the filling.
Step 3 - Next, starting on the long side, roll up the dough tightly to form a log. Transfer the log to the parchment-lined baking sheet you prepared earlier.
Step 4 - Using a sharp knife or clean scissors, cut the log longwise, leaving one inch of dough at the end of the log whole.
Step 5 - Twist the two strands about 5 to 6 times around themselves and then form a wreath. Pinch the ends of the dough wreath together to seal it up.
Step 6 - Cover the wreath loosely with plastic wrap or a tea towel and let it rise until soft and nearly doubled in size, about 30 minutes. While the bread is doing its final rise, preheat the oven to 350º F.
Place the baking sheet in the preheated oven and bake for 30 to 35 minutes until golden brown. If the top starts to brown up too much before the bread is done, you can loosely cover it with tin foil. To check for doneness, gently pull on the bread at the center of the wreath where it's the thickest. If it still appears doughy, bake longer.
When the bread is done, remove it from the oven and brush it with maple syrup until coated thoroughly and allow it to cool.
How to Make the Maple Glaze
In a small bowl, add the powdered sugar, maple syrup, and milk. Whisk until combined and smooth. Using a spoon, drizzle the glaze over the cooled wreath. Cut and serve.
How to Store and Freeze Maple Pecan Bread
You can store the slices of wreath bread in an airtight container for three or four days at room temperature. If you prefer the sweet maple bread warmed up, place it in the microwave for 15 or 20 seconds.
To freeze the bread, wrap the whole wreath bread or slices of bread tightly in plastic wrap. For extra precaution, then tightly wrap the bread in heavy-duty foil and place in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes. If you do not enjoy traditional bread-baking by hand, you can certainly make the dough in a bread machine. You will still have to fill, roll, form, and rise the bread wreath once the dough is made.
The first part of this recipe is the proofing process so you do not have to do anything extra. Here is the process: In a small bowl, add in the milk, maple syrup, and yeast. Whisk to dissolve the yeast. Allow this mixture to sit for 5 to 10 minutes until foamy.
Yes. You can do this recipe in two steps. Make the dough and form the bread the night before, but save the baking for the day you want to serve it. Refrigerate the formed wreath while you wait to bake it, covered in plastic wrap to prevent it from drying out.
I wouldn't bake the wreath until the day you want to serve it, because it is best served fresh. I also would not refrigerate the dough for more than 24 hours because it will start to dry out.
Maple Syrup Recipes
We have so many amazing recipes on the site that use real maple syrup. Here is a sampling of those recipes.
Maple Bacon Cupcakes with Maple Frosting
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Maple Pecan Wreath Bread
Ingredients
Dough
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- .25 ounces fast-acting dry yeast 1 envelope
- ¾ cup milk about 110 degrees F
- ¼ cup maple syrup
- 1 large egg
- 3 tablespoons butter melted
- ¼ teaspoon salt
Filling
- 3 tablespoons butter room temeprature
- ½ cup chopped pecans
- 3 tablespoons maple syrup
- ¼ cup light brown sugar packed
- 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
Maple Glaze
- â…” cup powdered sugar
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup
- 1 tablespoon milk
- maple syrup for brushing
Instructions
Dough
- In a small bowl, add in the milk, maple syrup, and yeast. Whisk to dissolve the yeast. Allow to sit for 5 to 10 minutes until foamy.
- Pour the yeast mixture in a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook.
- Add in the egg, salt, one cup of flour, and melted butter. Beat until combined.
- Slowly add the remaining flour. Knead the dough with the hook or by hand for 5-8 minutes until it pulls away from the sides of the bowl and becomes smooth.
- Place the dough in a greased bowl and cover loosely with plastic wrap or drape a tea towel over the bowl.
- Place the dough in a warm, draft-free place until doubled, about 1 to 2 hours.
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Set aside.
- While the dough is rising, make the filling.
Filling
- Add the butter, maple syrup, light brown sugar, and cinnamon in a medium bowl. Whisk until combined and set aside.
- Place the dough on a lightly floured surface. Knead just until the air bubbles are removed.
- Roll the dough out evenly into a large rectangle.
- Evenly spread the filling, leaving about ½ inch of the dough around the edges bare.
- Sprinkle the chopped pecans over the filling.
- Starting on the long side, roll up the dough tightly to form a log.
- Transfer the log to the parchment lined baking sheet.
- Using a sharp knife or clean scissors, cut the log longwise, leaving one inch of dough at the end of the log whole.
- Twist the two strands about 5 to 6 times and then shape it into a wreath. around themselves, then form a wreath. Pinch the ends together to seal.
- Cover the wreath loosely with plastic wrap or a tea towel and let rise until soft and nearly doubled in size, about 30 minutes.
- While the bread is doing it's final rise, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
- Place the baking sheet in the preheated oven and bake for 30 to 35 minutes until golden brown. If the top starts to brown up too much before the bread is done, you can loosely cover it with tin foil. To check for doneness, gently pull on the bread at the center of the wreath where it's the thickest. If it still appears doughy, bake longer.
- When the bread is done, remove it from the oven and brush it with maple syrup until coated and allow to cool.
Glaze
- In a small bowl, add in the powdered sugar, maple syrup, and milk. Whisk until combined and smooth.
- Using a spoon, drizzle the glaze over the cooled wreath.
- Cut and serve.
Nutrition
(Nutrition facts are an estimate and not guaranteed to be accurate. Please see a registered dietitian for special diet advice.)
