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Breudher
බ්රෙඩර් (breudher): rich, buttery Dutch Burgher Christmas loaf with eggs and raisins, baked in a fluted tin (plus 3 hours rising)
On Christmas morning in Dutch Burgher homes from Colombo to Galle, the breakfast table holds a tall, fluted breudher, the island's take on the Dutch Christmas loaf, sliced thick, spread with butter and topped with a slice of Edam. The dough is enriched with plenty of butter, eggs and sugar and studded with raisins, and the crumb is soft, golden and slightly sweet, closer to brioche than to bread. Old recipes leavened it with fermented palm toddy; this version uses ordinary yeast, so there is no alcohol. Edam is normally made with animal rennet, so choose a vegetarian Edam or Gouda if that matters to you. The most frequent failure is an impatient rise, which gives a heavy, close loaf, because butter-rich dough moves slowly; wait until it has truly doubled. Chef's tip: work the butter in a little at a time only after the dough has been kneaded smooth, and it will turn silky and elastic instead of greasy.
- Total time
- 85 min
- Difficulty
- hard
- Serves
- 12
Ingredients
For the dough
- 1 ⅛ lb strong white bread flour
- 3 ½ oz caster sugar
- 1 /2 tsp salt
- ¾ cup whole milklukewarm
- 4 eggsat room temperature, beaten
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 7 oz unsalted buttervery soft, plus extra for the tin
- 5 ½ oz raisinstossed with 1 tsp flour
To serve
- butter (optional)for spreading
- 7 oz vegetarian Edam or Gouda (optional)thinly sliced
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Method
0/9 doneStep 1: In a large bowl or stand mixer, combine 1 ⅛ lb strong white bread flour, ¼ oz fast-action dried yeast, 3 ½ oz caster sugar and 1 /2 tsp salt.
Step 2: Add ¾ cup whole milk, 4 eggs and 1 tsp vanilla extract and knead for about 10 minutes until a smooth, sticky but elastic dough forms.
10 minStep 3: Add 7 oz unsalted butter a tablespoon at a time, kneading until each piece disappears, then knead for 5 more minutes until the dough is glossy and pulls away from the bowl.
10 minStep 4: Knead in 5 ½ oz raisins until evenly spread.
Step 5: Cover and leave in a warm place for 1 1/2–2 hours until doubled in size.
120 minStep 6: Butter a 2.5 litre fluted breudher or bundt tin very well. Knock back the dough, shape it into a ring and drop it into the tin.
Step 7: Cover and leave to rise for about 1 hour until the dough is about 2 cm from the rim. Heat the oven to 350°F (325°F fan).
60 minStep 8: Bake for 40–45 minutes until deep golden and a skewer pushed into the thickest part comes out clean; cover loosely with foil if it browns too fast.
45 minStep 9: Cool in the tin for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a rack. Serve in thick slices with butter and 7 oz vegetarian Edam or Gouda.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 340 kcal
- Protein
- 8 g
- Carbs
- 46 g
- Fat
- 15 g
- Fibre
- 2 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does breudher take?
- About 85 minutes in total: 40 minutes to prepare and 45 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 12 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegetarian?
- Yes. It has no meat or fish.
- Can I make it ahead?
- Yes. It keeps well, so you can cook it earlier in the day or the day before and reheat it.
- What can I use instead of strong white bread flour?
- Plain flour, same amount (the dough will be softer and rise a little less).
- What can I use instead of fast-action dried yeast?
- Fresh yeast, three times the weight.
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