I developed this recipe for clementine and cranberry wreath bread a year ago.
It happened by accident.
I had planned chelsea buns but they didn’t quite happen! The filling was too hot and soft and the buns were clearly not going to hold their shape…so this came about instead.
The bread is beautifully soft, the filling, tart and tongue tingling.
If you don’t have time (or the inclination) to make my filling, fill this bread with shop-bought mincemeat or with one of my rather special mincemeat recipes. You’ll find the clementine and cointreau one here or my pear and amaretto one here.
Alternatively you could fill it with something like chocolate spread or chocolate chips.
I created my own filling to try and keep the sugar content as low as possible. It is also low FODMAP for those of you who are following that diet for your Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS).
A couple of years ago I was following that diet and know first hand how tricky no dried fruit is hard around Christmas!
I’m pretty sure you could shape this in the evening let it rise then place it in the fridge over night before bringing it up to room temperature and baking it in the morning for Christmas breakfast. It may take a couple of hours to get to room temperature before baking but given how early the kids wake up on Christmas morning that shouldn’t be a problem!
Oh and if you don’t eat it all in one day, slice it and freeze it and give it a little zap in the microwave to bring it back to full glory!
Anyway, once again I’m working with some fabulous bloggers to make your freefrom Christmas easier. Check out the #FreeFromChristmas hashtag across social media to find other incredible recipes. Alternatively visit their blogs to find full recipes:
- Kate – Gluten Free Alchemist
- Jo – Modern Food Stories
- Emma – Free From Farmhouse Tear and Share Christmas Tree
- Laura – Dairy Free Kids
- Midge – Peachicks Bakery – vegan black forest Christmas cake
- Mandy – Sneaky Veg
- Mel – Le Coin de Mel
- Nathalie – Intolerant Gourmand, Intolerant Gourmand – Christmas biscuits
- Eva – The Healthy Tart, The Healthy Tart – vegan mincepies
- Eb – Easy Peasy Foodie
- Sarah – GF Blogger
- Rebecca – Glutarama
Clementine & Cranberry Wreath Bread
Ingredients
- FOR THE FILLING:
- 300 g clementines
- 100 g frozen or fresh cranberries
- 50 g dried cranberries
- 50 g sugar or sugar alternative
- 30 g butter - coconut oil or margarine
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 tsp ground ginger
- FOR THE BREAD:
- 400 g gluten-free Free From Fairy plain flour
- 100 g potato starch
- 3 tsp psyllium husk
- 40 g sugar or sugar alternative
- 1/2 tsp sea or rock salt
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 2 tsp dried active yeast
- 230 ml milk or dairy-free milk
- 50 g coconut oil melted
- 1 medium free range egg
- 1 tsp balsamic vinegar
- FOR THE DRIZZLE TOPPING
- 50 g icing sugar
- 2 tsp orange or clementine juice or water
Instructions
- FOR THE FILLING:
- Peel the clementines and chop the segments into small pieces
- Place the prepared clementine pieces into a small saucepan and add all the other ingredients
- Cook on a low heat for around 10 minutes with the lid on, then 10 more minutes with the lid off until the fruit is softened and sauce is thickened
- Taste for sweetness (you may want to add more if you eat a lot of sugar)
- Leave to cool completely before using it in the bread
- FOR THE BREAD:
- Place the milk into a microwavable jug and heat for 30 seconds on high power. Add the yeast to the milk and whisk well to combine then set aside for 10 minutes
- Place all the dry ingredients into a bowl (or the bowl of a stand mixer) and mix together well
- Add the egg, melted butter or margarine and balsamic vinegar into the dry mixture
- Once the milk mixture looks frothy and smells yeasty add it to the dry mixture and beat well until a dough forms
- Place a large piece of cling film onto a clean work surface and place the dough on top
- With clean hands work the dough out into a rectangle measuring around 45cm x 20cm - the dough should be around 5mm in thickness
- Spread the filling onto the rectangle - leaving about 8cm along the long edge furthest from you free from filling
- With the help of the cling film start carefully rolling the rectangle from the fully filled long edge, ending at the unfilled edge
- Using the cling film, gently roll the roll (!) onto a large flat baking tray (removing the cling film as you go) and shape into a wreath shape, joining the ends together as best as you can
- With wet hands gently smooth over the dough, removing any cracks. The smoother it is now the better it will look when baked
- Cover with cling film and allow to rise for 45 minutes to 1 hour
- Bake in a pre-heated oven at 180 degrees, 160 degree fan for around 30 minutes or until golden
- Leave to cool slightly before drizzling with the icing
- Eat warm
Buy my wholegrain gluten-free flour blends here:
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This is what my customers have said about my flour:
Love the plain flour, have found it very versatile.
Performs much better than rival brands in my experience.
Have used the flour to adapt my cooking to suit my husbands dietary needs from pies, pasties, scones and cakes to using it as a thickening agent in sauces, stews and casseroles.
One of the best flours I've ever used
"It's very rare these days that a basic free from ingredient makes me stop and think as there are so many out there that all serve a purpose. But the wholemeal GF, WF and rice free flour from Free From Fairy is that one product.
This has to be one of the best flours I have used. It is so versatile and easy to use. From tacos to tarts pasta to pies this flour is amazing. I have taken to using it more and more.
Not only that but the story and Vicki’s support is brilliant.
Try it! You will be amazed and if you're stuck on how to use it then check the website for some inspirational recipes."
Brilliant wholemeal flour full of goodness.
I've made scones and brownies so far with this flour and it's brilliant. So good to know there are so many healthy grains in it making it definitely worth buying
We're all able to enjoy bread again...
After becoming gluten intolerant
I've been following Vicki for some years via her website
The flour is amazing, the best flour bar none. And I've used a few.
I've made bread, cakes, sponges and a whole lot of other stuff you'd normally think of with flour, thickening, cooking, and general baking. I don't do a huge amount as I'm single and like to watch my weight, so I resist making cakes apart from when I've got the house open to my Church and they love the cakes as I make them all GF and people never seem to realise that we're all eating the same thing, but they taste so good. Highly recommend, to quote an old advert, "Why choose cotton, when you can have silk.?"
Mark Montague says
A great Christmas recipe, thank you.
dairyfreekids says
Love the sound of these flavours together, this looks delicious!
choclette says
Love the look of this. I was thinking of making something similar, but I’m so impressed with how good this gluten free version looks. Your flour is amazing. #CookBlogShare
Vicki Montague says
Ah bless you! Thanks x
Eb Gargano | Easy Peasy Foodie says
This looks so pretty and I LOVE the flavours! Clementine and cranberry are definitely two of my all time favourite Christmassy flavours….and you know what a fan I am of happy accidents! 😀 Eb x
Angela / Only Crumbs Remain says
I love bread with fruity fillings like this Vicki, but have never tried one with clementines in there – it sounds fabulous – I’m such a fan of orange flavours especially at this time of year. And yes, I think you’re right, allowing it to proove in the fridge over night would be good (though I’ve only done that with ‘regular’ breads and not GF mixtures).
Angela x
Kate - gluten free alchemist says
I thought I had left a comment on this….. but I can’t see it, so maybe I dreamt it?! No bad thing….. If this gorgeous wreath creeps into my sleep, I would be very happy in my bed….. It looks utterly lovely xx
Vicki Montague says
Thank you so much for having me!
Monika says
This bread looks very intriguing with the filling inside – it’s like having a donut except so much healthier, I imagine it’s really yummy:) Thank you for bringing a little bit of free from fairy to #CookBlogShare:)
Glutarama says
What a lovely idea for a Christmas Wreath, I love the idea of these two flavours together, can’t wait to try this and have the smells of Christmas fill the house, good job I’ve got a batch of your flour still! Will needto stock up again after Christmas x
Vicki Montague says
Thanks Rebecca! x
Eva says
That looks absolutely gorgeous, I have never heard of it before, I don’t think that we have them in Germany, just another reason to try it. 🙂
Vicki Montague says
I am not sure it’s a thing! I just made it up!