Name: Butter Christmas Bread with Rum-Soaked Raisins
Prep time: 2 h 20 min
Cook time: 45 min
Total time: 3 h 5 min
Yield: 1 vánočka
Ingredients: 500 g plain flour; 90 g caster sugar; 25 g yeast; 250 ml semi-skimmed milk; 100 g butter; 2 pcs eggs; 1 packet vanilla sugar; 1 teaspoon salt; 1 pc lemon; 80 g raisins; 2 tablespoons rum; 1 pc egg; 40 g almonds

Step by step process

Dough

1
Butter Christmas bread starts with the dough. Take all the ingredients out at least 30 minutes ahead so they reach room temperature and the yeasted dough works better.
2
Pour rum over the raisins. Let them soak for ten minutes until plump. Crumble the yeast into the lukewarm milk, add a tablespoon of the sugar, and let it stand for 10 minutes until foam appears.
TIP:
Crumble the yeast into lukewarm milk or water, add a little sugar, and let it sit for 5 to 10 minutes to activate. A ready yeast starter will become foamy, increase in volume, and smell yeasty. If nothing happens, the liquid was probably too hot or the yeast is inactive.
3
Sift the plain flour into a bowl. Add the remaining sugar, vanilla sugar, and salt, then the eggs, finely grated lemon zest, the risen yeast, and the melted cooled butter.
4
Work everything into a smooth, elastic dough that pulls away from the bowl. At the end, briefly knead in the drained raisins.
TIP:
Knead the yeast dough until it is smooth, elastic, and no longer sticks to the sides of the bowl. Properly kneaded dough holds its shape, does not tear immediately when stretched, and slowly springs back after being pressed. Then you can add raisins, for example.

Proofing and Braiding

5
Cover the bowl with a towel. Let the dough rise in a warm place for 60 to 75 minutes, until it visibly doubles in volume.
6
Divide the risen dough into nine equal pieces. Roll each into a strand and braid a traditional loaf from four, three, and two strands.
7
Transfer the loaf onto a lined baking sheet. Gently shape it with your hands and let it rise again under a towel for 20 to 30 minutes.

Baking

8
Brush the surface with beaten egg and sprinkle it generously with almonds. If needed, prick it in a few places with skewers so it keeps its shape.
9
Bake it first for 10 minutes at 190 °C. Then lower the heat to 170 °C and bake for another 30 to 35 minutes until golden.
10
If the top browns too fast, cover it loosely with foil. Check doneness with a skewer pushed into the center.
TIP:
With large baked goods, pay more attention to color than to the time stated in the recipe. If the surface is browning too quickly, loosely cover it with aluminum foil. Check doneness with a skewer or thermometer: the center should be dry, with no raw dough.

Serving

11
Let the baked loaf cool completely on a wire rack. The crumb then stays soft and will not compress when you slice it.
12
Serve it for Christmas breakfast or with afternoon coffee. That is when its buttery taste and the aroma of rum-soaked raisins shine best.