Hefekranz and Hefezopf are sweet yeast breads popular in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland during holidays. They are made with flour, milk, sugar, yeast, butter, and eggs, and can be decorated with raisins and almond flakes. The dough is kneaded and left to rise before being braided and baked.
In the Central European nations of Germany, Austria, and Switzerland, two types of sweet yeast breads are favorites, particularly during holidays. The hefekranz is a garland made of braided pastry dotted with raisins, decorated with almond flakes, while the hefezopf is the same cake found only in a fat, braided log. Both delicacies are thick sweet doughs made with flour, milk, sugar, yeast, butter and some eggs.
The names of these desserts are purely illustrative. Hefe means “yeast” in German. Kranz and zopf mean “wreath” and “braid” respectively. Depending on the family, either hefekranz or hefezopf, or even both, might be served. They are popular desserts not only during Christmas celebrations, but also at Easter and to ring in the New Year.
Making the dough correctly for hefekranz is key to getting the bread’s rich, flaky folds. First, yeast, water and sugar are mixed and left to rise. For 1 pound (0.45 kg) of flour, one recipe calls for this yeast mixture to contain 1 tablespoon (about 14.3 g) of yeast, 1 tsp. (about 5 g) of sugar and 0.5 cup (about 60 ml) of water.
As the oven heats up to 350°F (about 177°C), this mixture is rolled through flour, more sugar, melted butter, eggs, and raisins. Again, a recipe with 1 pound (0.45 kg) of flour has three eggs, 2 ounces (about 60 g) of butter, 4 ounces (about 120 g) of sugar, and at least 1 cup (about 200 g) of raisins. The hefekranz dough is kneaded into a ball and then allowed to rise until it is expanded to three times its original size. Some cooks also add citrus zest to the dough before kneading.
After the first rise to room temperature, many cooks will punch the ball, roll it back into a ball, and then leave it covered in the refrigerator overnight. The next day, it can be divided into three equal parts and spread out on a flour-dusted counter into long, thick logs at least 30 cm long. Side by side, these logs can then be braided into a single loaf of bread. Almond flakes are pressed into the dough. After a quick brushing of milk or egg yolk, it then bakes on a baking sheet for about half an hour – into a long loaf or made into a circle.
To make the bread sweeter, a little extra sugar or raisins wouldn’t be unusual. Some chefs even add macerated maraschino cherries. This is often unnecessary, especially once a traditional confectioner’s sugar syrup is poured all over the place.
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