German Sweet Bread | Osterzopf

To the bowl of a stand mixer add flour, remaining sugar, eggs, salt, vanilla sugar, and soft butter. Add the warm milk mixture.

Mix on low into a shaggy dough. Then mix on medium-low for 7-10 minutes. Using your hands, form a uniform dough ball and return it to the bowl. Cover with a kitchen towel and let the dough rise in a warm place for one hour.

For the filling: In a small saucepan, heat the milk with sugar and vanilla sugar. Stir until the sugars are dissolved.  

In a separate bowl, mix the ground nuts with the breadcrumbs, cinnamon powder, and sea salt. Add the nut mixture to the milk and gently heat until it all comes together. Remove the pot from the heat and let the mixture cool down.

Assemble: Transfer the dough ball onto a lightly floured work surface. Roll the dough out into a 12 x 16″ rectangle.

Evenly spread the nut filling onto the dough sheet, leaving 1″ on the sides. Roll it up from the long side into one long log.

With a sharp knife cut the dough roll lengthwise, leaving the top of the roll intact! Twist the two strands around each other, tucking the bottom end together. 

Bake and finish: Preheat the oven to 365˚Fahrenheit. Line a baking sheet or large casserole dish with parchment paper. Place the braided loaf onto the baking sheet and bake for about 45 minutes in a preheated oven at 365˚F until golden brown. Remove from the oven and let cool down on a wire rack.

 In a small bowl, mix powdered sugar with enough lemon juice to create a thick glaze. Brush the loaf all over with the glaze.