This month the Babes are baking a celebratory bread, thanks to
Aparna of My Diverse Kitchen. She chose Ciambella
Mandorlata, a fragrant, braided wreath, served during
holiday seasons. I used a different
source for my recipe. Turns out it is
included in Bread for All Seasons by Beth Hensperger (page 131), which I have in my cookbook library. The bread itself has hints of lemon and almond
flavors, while the topping is a mixture of sugar, cinnamon, and almonds. Just for fun, I used almond meal instead of
large pieces of almond, and it worked out quite well.
First rise: I think it
doubled in size.
Second rise: I had to
remember how to braid! Plus, the strands
were 30 inches long, which created a challenge for where to roll out the dough
and braid it, not to mention moving it to the baking sheet. The center hole was certainly large enough,
so I didn’t have to be concerned about keeping it open.
Topping:
Finished bread. It turned
out just fine. The crumb was good, the
taste was good.
All in all, an easy bread to make with delicious results.
Visit the websites of the other Babes to see all the beautiful
braided loaves. Stop by Aparna's blog to get the recipe. If you decide to bake
one yourself, send the story and photos to Aparna by April 28th to
be included in the roundup.
- Blog from OUR Kitchen – Elizabeth
- A Messy Kitchen – Kelly
- Karen’s Kitchen Stories – Karen
- My Diverse Kitchen – Aparna (Kitchen of the Month)
- Bread Experience - Cathy
- Thyme for Cooking - Katie
- My Kitchen in Half Cups - Tanna
- Bake My Day - Karen
- Feeding My Enthusiasms - Elle
