Braided cake with walnuts

I start making braided nut bread especially when I need a dessert for the holidays and I want to know exactly what I put in it. It’s not a quick recipe, but it turns out well every time if you have patience and don’t skip any steps. Usually, I make the dough in the evening, let it rise well, and organize myself to have everything prepared in advance, including the filling.

Quick Info

Total time: approximately 4 hours (including rising and baking)
Preparation time: 2 hours (without rising breaks)
Baking time: 30 minutes/bread
Servings: 4 small breads or 2 larger ones (8 braided rolls two by two)
Difficulty: medium
Recipe type: holiday bread (Easter, Christmas)

Ingredients

For the dough:
1 kg sifted white flour
200 g sugar
8 egg yolks
200 g butter
1 pinch of salt
60 g fresh yeast
330 ml milk
160 ml buttermilk
50 ml oil
4 packets of vanilla sugar
1 vial of rum essence
grated zest of one lemon

For the filling:
300 g ground walnuts
4 tablespoons grated candied orange peel
4 tablespoons grated sugar
2 egg whites
2 tablespoons grated cocoa

For finishing:
2 egg yolks for brushing
brown sugar for sprinkling on top
oil for greasing the countertop and pans
flour for dusting the pans

Preparation Method

1. Prepare the starter. In a bowl, put 100 g of flour and pour 200 ml of boiling milk over it. Mix well with a spoon to avoid lumps. Let it cool completely; if it’s hot, it will stop the yeast later.

2. Separately, mash the yeast with a teaspoon of sugar until it becomes fluid. Add the yeast mixture to the scalded flour only after it has cooled. Mix and let it sit in a warm place for 15 minutes to activate.

3. In a blender or with a mixer, put the egg yolks, sugar, buttermilk, the rest of the milk (from the 330 ml), melted (but cooled) butter, grated lemon zest, vanilla sugar, salt, oil, and rum essence. Blend everything well until you have a uniform liquid.

4. When the starter has risen, pour the liquid mixture over it. Gently mix, then transfer everything to a large bowl over the remaining sifted flour (add gradually, not all at once). Start kneading.

5. Knead by hand or in a bread machine. I leave it in the machine for 1.5 hours on the kneading program. The dough should be elastic, shiny, and non-sticky. If you make it manually, grease your hands with oil to prevent sticking. Do not add extra flour while kneading.

6. In the meantime, prepare the filling. In a bowl, mix the ground walnuts, sugar, candied orange peel, cocoa, and egg whites. It should turn into a thick cream, not runny.

7. When the dough has finished kneading, grease the countertop with oil, not flour. Turn the dough out and divide it into 8 roughly equal pieces. Do the same with the filling, dividing it into 8 parts as well.

8. Take each piece of dough one by one. Roll it out with your fingers or a rolling pin, but don’t insist on making it perfectly thin. Place some filling in the middle and roll it tightly. Do this with all 8 pieces.

9. Take two rolls at a time and braid them loosely. This will yield 4 braided breads.

10. Prepare the pans: grease them with oil and dust with flour. Place each bread in the tray.

11. Brush the breads with egg yolk and sprinkle brown sugar on top. Let them rise in the tray in a warm place until doubled in size, if you have patience.

12. Bake in a preheated oven at 180°C for about 30 minutes. Check after 25 minutes with a toothpick: if it comes out clean, they are done.

13. Remove from the oven and let them cool in the pans.

Why I make this recipe often

This is the type of bread I can prepare in advance, and the texture remains fluffy while the walnut filling doesn’t harden. I slice it easily, and it doesn’t crumble. It’s suitable for holidays when you want a classic dessert, and it stays fresh for several days without drying out quickly.

Tips and Variations

Tips

The dough rises better if all ingredients are at room temperature.
Don’t let the scalded flour with milk be warm when you add the yeast, so you don’t stop it from fermenting.
For manual kneading, use oil on your hands and the countertop, not extra flour.

Substitutions

Buttermilk can be replaced with kefir or natural yogurt if you don’t have it on hand.
You can use vanilla essence instead of vanilla sugar, but adjust the quantity.
Candied orange peel can be omitted or replaced with grated fresh orange peel, but without the white part.

Variations

You can use other types of filling: a mix of Turkish delight and walnuts, or just raisins with walnuts.
If you want a larger bread, braid 4 rolls together and place them in a long tray.

Serving Ideas

It slices best after it has cooled completely. It can be served plain or with a glass of milk. For festive platters, you can cut thick slices and arrange them on a large platter.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. Can I use dry yeast?
Yes, you can use dry yeast. Replace 60 g of fresh yeast with about 20 g of dry yeast and dissolve it with a little warm milk and sugar before adding it to the starter.

2. What do I do if the dough is too sticky?
Don’t add extra flour while kneading. Knead more or oil your hands until it homogenizes.

3. How much does the bread rise while baking?
The dough rises about double, sometimes more if the yeast is active and the dough has been kneaded well.

4. Can I freeze the baked bread?
Yes, it can be frozen after it has cooled completely, either sliced or whole, but the texture will change slightly after thawing.

5. Is candied orange peel mandatory?
No, but it adds flavor. If you don’t have it, you can use grated orange peel or omit it completely.

Nutritional Values

Estimation for one slice (out of 32 slices, from 4 breads): approximately 240 kcal, 8 g fat, 35 g carbohydrates, 6 g protein. These values are indicative and can vary depending on the ingredients used and the thickness of the slices.

Storage and Reheating

The bread can be stored at room temperature, well wrapped in foil or in a bag, for up to 4 days. To keep it soft, do not leave it uncovered. I do not recommend refrigerating it, as it will dry out. You can heat slices for a few seconds in the microwave if you want to eat it warm, but not for too long, so it doesn’t harden. If you want to keep it longer, it can be frozen, but the texture will not be the same after thawing.

 Ingredients: For the dough: 1 kg of flour, 200 g of sugar, 8 egg yolks, 200 g of butter, a pinch of salt, 60 g of fresh yeast, 330 ml of milk, 160 ml of buttermilk, 50 ml of oil, 4 packets of vanilla sugar, 1 vial of rum essence, grated peel of one lemon. For the filling: 300 g of ground walnuts, 4 tablespoons of grated candied orange peel, 4 tablespoons of sugar, 2 egg whites, 2 tablespoons of cocoa powder, brown sugar for sprinkling on the sweet bread, 2 egg yolks for brushing, oil for greasing the baking pans, flour for dusting the pans.

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