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Babka wreath grazing board with cheese & spiced cranberry jam

One babka wreath grazing board with cheese & spiced cranberry jam in the middle

Babka wreath grazing board with cheese & spiced cranberry jam

Name: Babka wreath grazing board with cheese & spiced cranberry jam
Prep time: 40 min
Cook time: 40 min
Total time: 1 h 20 min
Yield: 10
Ingredients: 550g strong white bread flour plus extra for dusting; 7g sachet fast-action dried yeast; 1 tbsp caster sugar; 2 eggs beaten; olive oil for proving; 150g butter softened; 5 garlic cloves crushed; small bunch of parsley finely chopped; a few rosemary and sage sprigs, plus extra rosemary sprigs to garnish; 1 wheel of camembert (ensure vegetarian, if needed); halved figs dried cranberries, sliced pears, dates, walnuts, almonds, cured meats and cheeses, or any charcuterie accompaniments of your choice, to serve (optional); 250g fresh or frozen cranberries; 100g caster sugar; 1 tsp chilli flakes

Cassie Best

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Serves 8 - 10

More effort

Prep: 40 mins

Cook: 40 mins

plus at least 2 hrs 30 mins proving

A star rating of 5 out of 5.4 ratingsRate

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Create a perfect centrepiece for your Christmas get-together with this showstopping bread wreath. Just add charcuterie, fruit, nuts, crackers and cheeses

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Ingredients

Nutrition

Units:

MetricUS

550g strong white bread flour

plus extra for dusting
7g sachet fast-action dried yeast
1 tbsp caster sugar
2 eggs

beaten
olive oil

for proving
150g butter

softened
5 garlic cloves

crushed
small bunch of parsley

finely chopped
a few rosemary and sage sprigs, plus extra rosemary sprigs

to garnish
1 wheel of camembert

(ensure vegetarian, if needed)
halved figs

dried cranberries, sliced pears, dates, walnuts, almonds, cured meats and cheeses, or any charcuterie accompaniments of your choice, to serve (optional)

For the spiced cranberry jam

250g fresh or frozen cranberries
100g caster sugar
1 tsp chilli flakes

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Nutrition: Per serving (10)

kcal461
fat20g
saturates12g
carbs55g
sugars13g
fibre3g
protein14g
salt1.7g

Method

step 1

Weigh the flour and yeast into a large bowl or stand mixer. Add the sugar and 2 tsp salt and combine using your fingers or a wooden spoon. Add most of the egg, reserving a little for glazing later, and 300ml warm water. Mix until the ingredients start to clump together, then tip the dough onto a work surface and knead for 8-10 mins until soft and elastic. Alternatively, continue to mix in the stand mixer for 5 mins. Clean out the bowl, then oil it lightly and tip the dough back into it. Cover with a tea towel and leave to prove for 2 hrs until doubled in size, or prove overnight in the fridge.
step 2

For the jam, put all the ingredients in a saucepan with 1 tbsp water. Simmer for 10 mins over a low heat, stirring often, until the cranberries have burst and the mixture is thick and glossy. Remove from the heat and leave to cool. Meanwhile, mash the softened butter with the garlic, parsley, rosemary and sage.
step 3

If the dough has been chilled overnight, remove from the fridge 1 hr before baking to bring it to room temperature. Tip the dough onto a floured work surface and stretch into a rectangle. Dust with more flour and roll out until the rectangle is roughly 65 x 25cm. Spread the herby garlic butter all over the surface, then roll up into a tight spiral from one of the longer sides.
step 4

Using a sharp knife, cut the dough in half lengthways so you have two long pieces, exposing the garlic butter. Transfer the pieces to a large baking tray lined with baking parchment. Pinch the two pieces together at one end, then twist them together into a long plait. Bring the ends together into a circle to make a wreath shape – it should be about 40cm in diameter. Tuck one end under the other to hide the join. Will keep chilled for 4 hrs. Cover loosely with a tea towel and prove for 30 mins until the dough puffs up.
step 5

Heat the oven to 200C/180C fan/ gas 6. Brush the dough all over with the reserved beaten egg. Unwrap the wheel of camembert, return it to its wooden holder and put it in the centre of the wreath. Bake for 35 mins until the bread wreath is golden brown. Carefully slide the baked wreath and cheese onto a serving board. Cut off the top of the cheese, then spoon over the cranberry-chilli jam. Garnish with the extra rosemary sprigs. If serving as part of a charcuterie board, see tip below for how to assemble this.

How to arrange charcuterie around the wreath:

Fan slices of salami, prosciutto or other cured meats around the board
Slice cheddar or other hard cheeses into wedges or cubes
Halve fresh figs or thinly slice pears or apples
Decorate with dried cranberries, dates, apricots or other dried fruits
Add handfuls of walnuts, almonds or pistachios
Garnish with rosemary or other herb sprigs and fresh bay leaves

Recipe from Good Food magazine, December 2022

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A star rating of 5 out of 5.4 ratings

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