Noel Bread

This breakfast treat, Noel Bread, is prepared the night before Christmas morning, making it easy to just place into the oven the morning of and bake while coffee is brewing and bacon is sizzling in the pan.  Noel Bread is similar to a monkey bread or pull-apart bread, but takes a trip to Belgium.  I add a unique Belgian pearl sugar, often found in Liège waffles, that caramelized into little pebbles of flavor in the finished product.  Wanted to use a Quadrupel as i love all the unique and comforting flavors in this beer style.  Dried figs | cherries | currants and candied orange peel are dominant flavors and using them in the dough, that is soaked in this same brew brew,  creates additional complexity.  Each dough ball is wrapped around a hazelnut, coated butter a coated in warm winter spices, staked and layered with even more spiced sugar, then baked until caramely and delicious.  Pair this breakfast centerpiece with Vanilla Bean Eggnog infused with Tripel Ale.

Serves: 8–10 people

Adapted from BeerAdvocate Magazine: Cuisine à la Bière | Dec 2011 | Issue #59

Noël Bread

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A version of Christmas morning bread, similar to a monkey bread or pull apart breakfast bread, using a Belgian Quadrupel, dried fruit and warm winter spices, that create a delicious holiday treat to be enjoyed around the xmas tree.

• CuisineBeer Cuisine, Belgian, Comfort, Vegetarian

Servings	Prep Time
10 servings	20 minute

Cook Time	Passive Time
60 minute	9 hour

Servings Prep Time 10 servings 20 minute

Cook Time Passive Time 60 minute 9 hour

Noël Bread Votes: 0 Rating: 0 You: Rate this recipe! Print Recipe A version of Christmas morning bread, similar to a monkey bread or pull apart breakfast bread, using a Belgian Quadrupel, dried fruit and warm winter spices, that create a delicious holiday treat to be enjoyed around the xmas tree. CuisineBeer Cuisine, Belgian, Comfort, Vegetarian Servings Prep Time 10 servings 20 minute Cook Time Passive Time 60 minute 9 hour Servings Prep Time 10 servings 20 minute Cook Time Passive Time 60 minute 9 hour

Ingredients

Dried Fruit Brioche Dough Ingredients:

• 1 cup figs, dried stem removed
• 1/4 cup currants or raisins
• 1/4 cup cherries, dried such as Dried Tart Montmorency Cherries.
• 1 tablespoon Candied Orange Peel, recipe here
• 1 cup Quadrupel, such as Rochefort 10, De Struise Brouwers Pannepot, St. Bernardus Abt 12 or other Quadrupel
• 1/2 cup flour, bread unbleached and preferably organic
• 1/2 cup milk, whole warmed to 105°F | 41°C
• 2 tablespoon honey local variety | wildflower | orange blossom
• 2 1/2 teaspoon yeast, instant bread, 1 envelope
• 4 each egg, yolks, large at room temperature
• 3 3/4 cup flour, bread unbleached and preferably organic, plus more for kneading
• 1/4 cup sugar, Soft Belgian Candi Sugar, Brown availalbe at Beer, Beer and More Beer
• 1 teaspoon salt, kosher
• 16 tablespoon butter, unsalted preferably European style, organic
• 1 cup hazelnuts, shelled, toasted and skins removed (optional)

Dough Coating Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cup sugar, Soft Belgian Candi Sugar, Brown availalbe at Beer, Beer and More Beer
• 2 teaspoon cinnamon, Ceylon, ground
• 3/4 teaspoon ginger, ground
• 3/4 teaspoon orange peel powder available at Savory Spice Co.
• 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg, freshly grated on a Microplane Zester/Grater
• 1/2 teaspoon clove, ground
• 1 cup butter, unsalted preferably European style, organic
• 1/4 cup Belgian Pearl Sugar, such as Lars' Own Belgian Pearl Sugar,

Rochefort Drizzle Topping Ingredients:

• 1 cup sugar, powdered
• 2 - 3 tablespoon Quadrupel, such as Rochefort 10, De Struise Brouwers Pannepot, St. Bernardus Abt 12 or other Quadrupel

Servings: servings

Units:MetricUS Imperial

Instructions

Dried Fruit Brioche Dough Directions:

• Place the figs, currants, cherries and candied orange peel into the bowl of a food processor and pulse several times to chop up the dried fruit into smaller size pieces. Remove the fruit from the food processor and place into a bowl, pouring the Quadruple ale over the mixture to cover and rehydrate the fruit for 1 – 2 hours.

  
• In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, add the flour, warm milk, honey and dried yeast. Mix on low speed for 5 minutes, creating a sponge-like consistency. Turn the mixer off and cover the bowl with a clean dish towel. Let the sponge ferment for 1 – 2 hours (the yeast will feed off the honey and become active).
• The sponge is done when it has risen and, when touched, the sponge falls. Add the egg yolks and the beer soaked in dried fruit to the sponge. Turn the mixer on low and let the liquids mix into the sponge. Then mix on medium speed for 2 – 3 minutes. Turn the mixer off, remove the paddle and replace it with a dough hook. In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, sugar and salt. With the mixer on low speed, gradually add the flour mixture to the sponge, until it is completely incorporated. The dough should be sticky to the touch. Let the mixer knead the dough for about 5 minutes, then let the dough rest for 5 – 10 minutes.

  
• Turn the mixer back on medium speed and slowly add the room-temperature butter, about 2 tablespoons at a time, waiting for the dough hook to fully integrate the butter before the next addition. This will take a few minutes. Use a spatula to scrape the sides down if the dough or butter clings to outer walls of the bowl. Once all the butter has been absorbed into the dough, beat the dough on medium for about 3 – 4 minutes.

  

Dough Coating Directions:

• In a wide bowl, combine the sugar, cinnamon, ginger, orange peel, nutmeg and cloves. Mix to incorporate the spices evenly into the sugar. In another bowl, add the butter, and melt.

Noël Bread Assembly:

• Turn out the dough onto a lightly flour-dusted work table. Sift a little more flour over the top of the dough, and knead for a few minutes until the dough is soft and easy to spread out. Using a rolling pin (dusted with flour), roll out the dough into a large rectangle, about 12 by 18 inches. Cut the dough into 2-inch squares. Place a hazelnut in the center of each square and wrap in the dough. pan.

  
• Roll the dough between your palms, making the shape of a ping pong ball. Repeat with the remaining dough.

  
• Next, using some of the melted butter and a pastry brush, lightly coat the inside of a Bundt pan. Lightly sprinkle the bottom of the pan with some of the sugar mixture, then a few of the pearl sugar crystals.

  
• Now, take a dough ball and dip it into the melted butter, turning to coat evenly. Using your hands or a fork, transfer the dough ball to the sugar mixture, toss to evenly coat, and place into the prepared

  
• Repeat the process of dipping and rolling the dough balls, arranging the dough into a layer over the bottom of the pan. Lightly dust the layer with some of the sugar mixture and some of the pearl sugar, drizzling with some of the butter.

  
• Repeat, adding another layer with the remaining dough balls. Dust the top of the balls with the last of the sugar mixture, drizzle with some of the remaining butter and top with the pearl sugar. Tightly wrap the pan with plastic wrap and place into the refrigerator overnight, allowing the dough to rise slowly.

  
• The next morning, remove the prepared pan from the refrigerator and preheat the oven to 350°F | 177°C. Let the dough sit, warming up for about 20 – 30 minutes. Unwrap the pan and place it into the center of the oven. Bake for 50 – 60 minutes, until a Cooking Thermometer reads 195°F | 91°C in the center of the bread. Remove the bread from the oven and let rest for 3 – 5 minutes, then cover the pan with a larger diameter plate, flipping it over, releasing the bread onto the serving platter.

Rochefort Drizzle Topping Directions:

• In a small bowl, whisk together the powdered sugar and the beer until smooth. Drizzle this topping evenly over the hot Noël Bread. This bread is best served warm.