Christmas 2009 Part Four! (And A Recipe!)

My mom's side of the family traditionally eats homemade orange bread (with icing) on Christmas morning. Knowing that I'm not much of a baker (at least not yet), my mom gave me a half of one of the loaves she made for us to enjoy. Here it is in all its orange bread-y glory ...

Baylor was, at first, very excited to try it out.

Apparently it's an acquired taste.

He'd much rather stick with actual oranges, thank you!

After breakfast, we got decked out in our Christmas finery. While I was still getting ready, Big B and Little B took a picture together. Baylor looks delighted, doesn't he?

Regardless of what Baylor thinks of the orange bread, it is actually pretty good. Want to try it? Here is the recipe, taken from Seventeen Magazine in 1973! (I apologize for the directions ... they were typed out on a typewriter sometime in the seventies, and since I've never made this myself I can't help clarify them much more.)

Holiday Twist

Seventeen Magazine '73

Orange Braid

5 to 5 1/2 cups all purpose flour - divided

1/2 cup sugar

1 teaspoon salt

2 envelopes active dry yeast

1/2 cup milk

1/2 cup water

1/2 cup butter or margarine

3 eggs

2 Tablespoons grated orange rind (or whole orange)

Vegetable oil

1 Tablespoon water

Trim and frosting

In a large bowl, thoroughly mix 2 cups of the flour, the sugar, salt, and yeast. Combine milk, water, and butter in a sauce pan; place over low heat and still (stir?) until mixture is very warm to the touch but not hot (the butter does not need to melt completely). Gradually add this to flour mixture and beat with electric mixer at medium speed for two minutes, scraping bowl occasionally. Add two of the eggs and one more cup of flour; beat at high speed for two minutes. Remove bowl from mixer and with a spoon stir in orange rind (or one whole orange mixed with blender) and enough of remaining flour to make a soft dough (about one and a half cups). On a well-floured board, pat dough out one inch thick and knead as follows: lift front half up and fold over the rear half. Press dough down with heels of hands; push away. Turn dough one quarter turn around; repeat the whole fold-over-push-turn process until dough is smooth and elastic, about five to ten minutes. Use only as much of remaining flour as needed to prevent dough's sticking to board. Shape dough into a ball and place in an oiled bowl, turning once to grease top. Cover bowl with a clean towel and put in a warm place free of drafts. Let rise until doubled in bulk, about one hour. To test, poke fingers one-half inch into dough an inch or two from the edge; quickly pull fingers out. If imprint remains, dough has risen enough; if holes fill in, let it rise longer. Punch down dough, knead about a minute on lightly-floured board until smooth and elastic again. Divide into three equal pieces. Roll each piece into a strip 28" long, using palms of hands and rolling back and forth on board or lightly-floured tabletop. Join the strips at one end by pressing together and interlace them to form a braid. Shape braid into a ring on a greased baking sheet, placing one end on top of the other and pressing overlapping ends to seal. (OR form two loaves in bread loaf pans - bake as directed) Brush lightly with oil and put in warm place to rise until doubled in bulk (about 30 minutes). Bake at 375 degrees Fahrenheit for 20 minutes. While it bakes, beat remaining egg with one tablespoon water. When braid has baked 20 minutes, brush lightly with egg mixture and bake five minutes more, brush again and bake until bread is golden brown and sounds hollow when tapped with fingers, about five minutes more. Remove from baking sheet and cool on wire rack.

Good luck! Again, sorry for the directions. (If you have questions about the recipe, feel free to ask me ... I can always as my mom for further clarification.)

Anyhow, it tastes really good toasted and topped with icing made from powdered sugar and milk. I think some of my family members butter the toast and top it with plain powdered sugar, but for my taste the icing is the best.

I hope you enjoy our Christmas morning tradition and maybe try it out for yourself!