Almond Cranberry Wreath

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Almond Cranberry Wreath

This celebratory Almond Cranberry Wreath gets its tender, pillowy texture from Platinum® Yeast from Red Star®, the go-to yeast for baking success every time.

 
Almond Cranberry Wreath
 
Makes 1 wreath
Ingredients
  • 4¼ to 4½ cups (531 to 563 grams) all-purpose flour, divided
  • ¼ cup (50 grams) granulated sugar
  • 1 (0.25-ounce) package (7 grams) Platinum Yeast from Red Star
  • 2 teaspoons (6 grams) kosher salt
  • ½ cup (120 grams) plus 1 tablespoon (15 grams) water, divided
  • ½ cup (120 grams) whole milk
  • ½ cup (113 grams) unsalted butter
  • 2 teaspoons (8 grams) vanilla extract
  • 2 large eggs (100 grams), divided
  • 1 large egg yolk (19 grams)
  • 1 tablespoon (3 grams) orange zest
  • 1 cup (120 grams) fresh or thawed frozen cranberries, halved (patted dry if frozen)
  • Almond Cream (recipe follows)
  • Orange Glaze (recipe follows)
Instructions
  1. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine 2 cups (250 grams) flour, sugar, yeast, and salt.
  2. In a medium saucepan, heat ½ cup (120 grams) water, milk, butter, and vanilla over medium heat until an instant-read thermometer registers 120°F (49°C) to 130°F (54°C). Add warm milk mixture to flour mixture, and beat at medium speed until combined and cooled slightly, 2 minutes. Add 1 egg (50 grams), egg yolk, and orange zest, and beat at medium speed until combined. With mixer on low speed, gradually add 2¼ cups (281 grams) flour, beating just until combined and stopping to scrape sides of bowl.
  3. Switch to the dough hook attachment. Beat at low speed until a soft, somewhat sticky dough forms, about 12 minutes, stopping to scrape dough hook and sides of bowl. Add up to remaining ¼ cup (31 grams) flour, 1 tablespoon (8 grams) at a time, if dough is too sticky.
  4. Lightly oil a large bowl. On a lightly floured surface, shape dough into a smooth round. Place dough in bowl, turning to grease top. Cover and let rise in a warm, draft-free place (75°F/24°C) until doubled in size, 40 minutes to 1 hour.
  5. In a small bowl, whisk together remaining 1 egg (50 grams) and remaining 1 tablespoon (15 grams) water.
  6. Lightly punch down dough. Cover and let stand for 5 minutes. Turn out dough onto a lightly floured surface, and roll into a 24x12-inch rectangle. Using a small offset spatula, spread Almond Cream onto dough, leaving a ½-inch border on one long side. Sprinkle with cranberries. Brush border with egg wash. Starting with opposite long side, roll up dough, jelly roll style; pinch seam to seal. Gently shape log to even thickness, if necessary. Trim edges flat. Place log on a sheet of parchment paper. Form dough into a circle. Brush trimmed ends with egg wash, and press together, pinching dough to seal.
  7. Using a serrated knife or kitchen scissors, cut three-fourths of the way into dough, being careful not to cut all the way through dough. Make a second cut 1 inch from first cut. Repeat process around the circle until you reach first cut. Gently turn each slice onto its side, slightly overlapping with the previous piece. Slide parchment onto a baking sheet. Cover and let rise in a warm, draft-free place (75°F/24°C) until puffed, 20 to 30 minutes.
  8. Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C). Brush egg wash onto dough.
  9. Bake until lightly golden and an instant- read thermometer inserted in center registers 190°F (88°C), 30 to 45 minutes, loosely covering with foil to prevent excess browning, if necessary. Let cool on pan for 10 minutes. Remove from pan, and drizzle with Orange Glaze. Serve warm or at room temperature.

 

Almond Cream
 
Makes about 1¾ cups
Ingredients
  • 6 tablespoons (84 grams) unsalted butter, softened
  • ½ cup (100 grams) granulated sugar
  • 1⅓ cups (128 grams) natural almond meal
  • 1 large egg (50 grams)
  • ¼ teaspoon (1 gram) almond extract
  • ½ cup (63 grams) all-purpose flour
  • ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
Instructions
  1. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat butter and sugar at medium speed until creamy, about 2 minutes. Beat in almond meal until combined. Add egg and almond extract, beating on low until combined. Beat in flour and salt. Refrigerate until ready to use.

 

Orange Glaze
 
Makes about ½ cup
Ingredients
  • 1 cup (120 grams) confectioners’ sugar
  • 1 teaspoon (1 gram) orange zest
  • 1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons (25 grams) fresh orange juice
Instructions
  1. In a small bowl, whisk together all ingredients until smooth.
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2 COMMENTS

    • Hi Maneesha,

      Thank you for your question!

      In this recipe, the egg serves multiple purposes. For one, it acts as a binder, holding together the Almond Cream filling. It also allows the mixture to brown and rise slightly when baking, and bakes fully, so if you’re nervous about raw egg, it’s actually fully cooked when baked. Both the dough and filling use eggs, so it would be very difficult to substitute out eggs in this recipe. We haven’t tested it, but flax eggs and egg replacement powders are options. If you do end up trying this recipe without eggs, please let us know how it goes!

      Happy Baking!

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