How to Make All Saints Day Strietzel

Strietzel, a braided sweet bread, originates in Germany. On All Saints day, children look forward to visits from their godparents who arrive with gifts of Strietzel. Part of the fun for the children is competing with each other for who received the longest Strietzel because there is no standard length for this bread. It can be made in lengths over 3 feet, as long as you have the oven space for it. Although the preparation time for Strietzel is about 2 hours, it is a relatively simple bread to make.

Instructions

Difficulty: Easy

Things You’ll Need:

• 1 tbsp. sugar
• 3/4 stick butter
• 1/2 cup raisins or currants
• Salt
• 1 1/4 cups milk, warm
• 2 2/3 cup flour
• 1 egg
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 3/4 minced hazelnuts
• 4 tbsp. rum
• 1 1/2 oz. yeast

Make All Saints Day Strietzel

1. Prepare a workspace for kneading your dough. You can also use a board or make space on your kitchen counter. Clean thoroughly and sprinkle with flour.
2. Grease a baking sheet lightly with butter.
3. Set your oven to heat up at 400 degrees F.
4. Pour yeast into a bowl and mix with 1 tsp. sugar and add 3/4 cup warm milk. Mix well, then set the bowl aside so the mixture can ferment. This should take about 15 minutes.
5. Rinse the currants. Drain them and soak them in 4 tbsp. of rum. Melt the butter in a pan.
6. Add the butter, flour, milk, sugar, egg, pinch of salt, hazelnuts and currants in rum to the yeast mixture.
7. Mix well so that all the ingredients blend together and form a dough.
8. Place your dough on the floured counter or board and knead until dough has an elastic consistency. At this point, the dough should stop sticking to the board.
9. Cover the dough and place it in a warm place to rise until it doubles in size. This is called "proofing." This process will take about 90 minutes.
10. Lightly flour your work surface again. Return dough to your work surface and knead briefly, then divide the dough into three equal pieces.
11. Roll each piece into a strip about 20 inches long. Be careful not to put too much flour on your work surface because it will prevent the pieces of dough from sticking together properly.
12. Place the three strips side by side and braid them together.
13. Place the braided piece onto your buttered baking sheet. Cover and let it rise for about 30 minutes.
14. Melt a little butter and use it to brush the top of your dough.
15. Place your All Saints Day bread in the oven and bake it for about 25 minutes.
16. Bring your bread out of the oven and leave it to cool. Coat with powdered sugar and serve.

Tips & Warnings

• Strietzel tastes best if it is eaten within a few hours of baking.