Viennese Striesel; The Bread Baking Babes do the Holidays

Ahhhhh.....

Nothing like the relaxing run-up to the holidays, is there?

Let's see....

Christmas cards.

Nope, not done; not even started.

Christmas shopping.

Nope, not done; although I have thought about it.

Christmas tree.

Nope, not done; not going to be done.

Christmas post; something excessively witty and entertaining.

Nope, not done.

At least I managed to get some baking done - some festive holiday bread.

And a good thing, too, as I am the host kitchen for the illustrious Bread Baking Babes this month.

First, let me congratulate one of our Babes for producing something other than bread..... (Some people just have to be different.)

Sara, of I Like to Cook, has convinced the Babes (quite easily, I might add) that not only should we add a Babe to our group, it should be a male Babe..... There's a picture of him lounging in bed in a, ahem, natural state, on her blog.

Back to the bread.....

When I was unpacking my cook books a few weeks ago, after having them all in boxes for well over a year, I, naturally, spent rather too much time looking at them all.

Old friends, and all that.

I ran across this one:

There's no date in it, but, as the first line of instruction for the bread we made was:

1. Be immaculately clean -- hair combed, dress and apron clean, hands and nails scrubbed.

I think it might be an old book. No mention of hand sanitizers anywhere.

I wanted to do a holiday bread in December.... And I really wanted to do something from this little book that I've had since I was a child.

Viennese Striesel it is.

According to the book, this is made with a basic sweet dough that can be used 'for many wonderful breads'.

Basic Sweet Dough

Add fruit and mace to basic dough before the last cup of flour. Mix in well. Add remaining flour and finish kneading until smooth.

Shape into a ball, place in lightly greased bowl, cover and let rise until doubled, about 2 1/4 hours.

Punch down. Divide into 9 pieces, shape each into a ball and let rest 5 minutes.

Roll each piece into a rope about 15" long. Lay 4 strands on a lightly greased baking sheet, overlapping at the center. Braid from the center toward each end. With the side of your hand make a trench down the center. Now braid 3 strands, also from the center to each end, and place in the 'trench'. Twist the 2 remaining strands loosely together and place on top, bringing the ends over the end of the loaf and tucking in.

Cover loosely and let rise until doubled, about 1 1/2 hours. Bake, 350F (175C) for 40 - 45 minutes. Remove and cool on a wire rack.

Mix milk and sugar. When bread is cool, drizzle frosting over the top. Sprinkle with nuts.

Pour a nice cup of tea and visit all the Babes to admire their Striesel:

Check out the other Babe's Brioche:

The Bread Baking Babes

Bake My Day - Karen

Canela and Comino - Gretchen

Cookie Baker Lynn - Lynn

Grain Doe - Gorel

I Like To Cook - Sara

Living in the Kitchen with Puppies - Natashya

Living on bread and water - Monique

Lucullian Delights - Ilva

My Kitchen In Half Cups - Tanna

Notitie Van Lien - Lien

The Sour Dough - Breadchick Mary

Tight schedule, I know, but 'tis the season and all that. Besides, you want to make this bread soon so you can enjoy it while you relax from all the hustle and bustle.

Now the confession.... I had to look up on the internet to figure out how to braid with 4 strands....

I can do a French braid in my hair in under 3 seconds, but I had to look this up.

Must be 'holiday syndrome' - you know, brain on holiday.....