This beautiful braided bread is filled with a juice pears, golden raisins,and a cinnamon sugar spread. Nutty brown butter glaze adds a festive finishing touch. Perfect for a holiday brunch or as a homemade gift.
Prep Time45 minutesmins
Cook Time2 hourshrs25 minutesmins
Total Time3 hourshrs5 minutesmins
Course: Breakfast
Cuisine: American
Keyword: braided bread, Pear and Golden Raisin Bread, Pear and raisin bread
Servings: 10servings
Calories: 156kcal
Ingredients
For the dough:
¾cupwhole milk
2tablespoonsunsalted butter
1large eggyolk and white separated into 2 small bowls
2 ¼teaspoonsor one packet active dry yeast
1tablespoongranulated sugar
2 ¼cupsall-purpose flour
¼teaspoonsalt
For the filling:
1medium ripe Anjou peardiced
⅓cupgolden raisins
2tablespoonsbourbonwater, or fruit juice
¼cupunsalted butterat room temperature
¼cupgranulated sugar
3teaspoonsground Saigon cinnamon
For the glaze:
2tablespoonsbuttermelted and browned
½cuppowdered sugar
1-2tablespoonswhole milk
Instructions
In a small saucepan, heat the milk and butter over medium heat until it is warm to the touch and the temperature registers 100 degrees. Do not let the milk scald or simmer.
In a medium-size bowl, combine the flour, yeast, sugar, and salt. Stir with a whisk to make sure it is well-incorporated. With a wooden spoon, stir in the milk mixture and the egg yolk into the flour mixture until just combined. Reserve the egg white for later. Use your hands to form the mixture into a shaggy ball of dough.
Transfer the dough to a lightly floured surface and knead for 10 minutes until a smooth ball forms. You can also knead with an electric mixer for 8 minutes and knead by hand for the last 2 minutes. Transfer the dough ball to a clean bowl coated with cooking spray. Cover and let rise in a warm area for 90 minutes or until doubled in size.
While the dough rises, prepare the filling. Saute the pear over medium heat in a small saucepan until it is just tender, about 3 minutes. Transfer to a small bowl to let cool completely.
In the same saucepan, combine the raisins and bourbon (or whatever liquid you choose). Bring to a simmer over medium heat, simmer two minutes, then remove from heat and cover the skillet with foil. Let it sit covered for 20 minutes to let the raisins soften. You can then transfer the raisins to the bowl of sliced pear.
In a small mixing bowl, combine the ¼ cup softened butter, granulated sugar, and cinnamon. Mix with an electric mixer or fork until a spreadable paste forms. Set aside.
Once your dough has doubled in size, punch it down and place on a 14 inch-long sheet of parchment paper. Using a rolling pin lightly dusted with flour, roll the dough out to a rectangle of 12 inches long and 9 inches wide. Transfer the sheet of parchment with the dough rectangle to a 15 ½ by 10 ½ standard jelly roll pan.
Using the picture above as a guide, spread the butter mixture down the center of the dough with an offset spatula. You want to leave about a 2 inch border along the sides of the butter and a 1 ½ inch border at the top and bottom of the dough. Sprinkle the pears and raisins evenly over the butter spread.
Using a pairing knife, cut 1 ½ inch strips on both sides of the filling from the top of the dough to the bottom. It's ok if the strips are not perfectly even. Starting at the top border of the dough, fold it up and over the filling. Working from right to left, fold the strips of dough up and over the filling in a braid-like fashion, tucking each strip of dough under the strip that you will fold over next. Work your way to the bottom of the dough, then fold the bottom up and over the filling and pinch the seams shut (use the pictures as your guide!). Cover the braid with a clean tea towel and let it rest on top of your oven while it preheats to 375 degrees.
After 30 minutes, uncover the braid and lightly brush it with your reserved egg white (be sure to add a splash of water to the egg white so it brushes on evenly. Bake the braid in a preheated 375 degree oven until it is golden brown, about 20 minutes.
Transfer the braid to a wire rack to cool completely.
Once the braid has cooled, make the glaze. Add the butter to a small saucepan. Melt over medium heat and continue to cook it until the melted butter turns golden brown and has a nutty fragrance. Be sure to stir the melted butter to scrape up any bits from the bottom of the pan as it cooks.
Stir the powdered sugar into the browned butter and add milk as needed until a smooth glaze forms. If your glaze cools down to much, you can put it back over low heat until it is a pourable consistency.
Drizzle the glaze over the braid and let it dry for about 10 minutes before slicing and serving.
Gift idea: place the braid on a piece of cardboard covered with red or green plastic wrap. Wrap in colorful cellophane and tie with a holiday bow.