Ingredients
Dough
- 800 gstrong white flour
- 300 mlwarm milk
- 150 gbutter, softened
- 120 gsugar
- 3egg yolks
- 1egg
- 14 ginstant yeast
- 1 tspsalt
- grated zest of 1 lemon
- 1 tspvanilla
To add
- 150 graisins, soaked in rum
- 80 gflaked almonds
- 50 gcandied peel, optional
To finish
- 1egg, beaten
- flaked almonds
- icing sugar
Equipment
- wooden skewers, to hold the tiers
- a large baking tray
To serve
- sliced, with butter, at Christmas breakfast
Directions
- Warm the milk to blood heat and mix it with the yeast and a spoonful of the sugar. Let it stand until foaming, which confirms the yeast is alive before you commit expensive ingredients to it.
- Mix the flour, sugar, salt, zest and vanilla, then add the milk, yolks and whole egg. Knead for 5 minutes, then add the softened butter a piece at a time. Add the butter after the gluten has begun to form, since butter added at the start coats the flour and the dough never develops.
- Knead for a good 15 minutes in total. Knead it thoroughly. It should pass a windowpane test. Prove for about 2 hours until doubled, which is slow because of the sugar and fat. Knead the fruit in briefly and only until distributed, since over-working tears it and stains the crumb. Take roughly half the dough for the base tier, a third for the middle and the rest for the top.
- Divide the base portion into four, the middle into three and the top into two. Roll each piece into a rope, keeping them even. Roll them evenly and slightly thicker in the middle than at the ends, which gives a better shape. Lay the four ropes side by side and plait them, working from the middle outward if you can.
- Set it on the lined tray and press it down slightly to flatten it. Twist the last two ropes together and lay them on top of that. Take them out after baking. Brush the whole thing with beaten egg. Prove for a further 45 minutes to an hour, until well risen but not doubled. Do not over-prove it.
- Brush with egg again and scatter flaked almonds over. Bake at 170°C (340°F) for 40 to 50 minutes. Bake it at a moderate temperature rather than a hot one, since the sugar colours fast and a large loaf needs a long time to cook through.
- Cover it with foil once it is golden, which will happen well before it is done. It is done when it sounds hollow tapped underneath and reads about 92°C inside. Dust the loaf with icing sugar. Serve it sliced, with butter, at Christmas breakfast and through the holidays. It keeps four or five days wrapped and it makes exceptional French toast afterwards.
Technique
- The nine-strand three-tier form is the classic, though simpler braids are common.
- The folklore around silence and jumping is genuinely recorded.
- Mazanec is the closely related Easter version, made round.
Substitutions
- A simpler three or four strand plait, which is much easier.
- Sultanas or dried cranberries in place of raisins.
Variations
- Made as a single simple plait.
- Mazanec, the round Easter version.
- Without fruit, which some households prefer.
History
A Bohemian Christmas bread braided in tiers and traditionally baked on Christmas Eve morning.
Frequently asked questions
What is Vánočka?
Vánočka is a bread & pastry from Czechia: braided sweet Christmas bread with raisins and almonds. A Bohemian Christmas bread braided in tiers and traditionally baked on Christmas Eve morning.
How long does Vánočka take to make?
Vánočka takes 1 hr plus 3 hr rising of preparation and 40 min of cooking. The recipe makes 1 large loaf. It is rated hard to make.
What can I substitute in Vánočka?
Yes, within limits. A simpler three or four strand plait, which is much easier. Sultanas or dried cranberries in place of raisins.
What is the most important thing to get right in Vánočka?
Mix the flour, sugar, salt, zest and vanilla, then add the milk, yolks and whole egg. Knead for 5 minutes, then add the softened butter a piece at a time. Add the butter after the gluten has begun to form, since butter added at the start coats the flour and the dough never develops.
