Schnitzbrot German Christmas Bread Food

SCHNITZBROT (GERMAN CHRISTMAS BREAD)

Steps:

• Grease a large bowl. Lightly grease three 5 x 9-inch loaf pans.
• Pour the warm water into a large mixing bowl, and stir in the yeast until dissolved. Allow to rest until the mixture becomes creamy, about 15 minutes. Stir in 2 tablespoons of white sugar and 3 cups of flour until evenly blended.
• Pour the prune juice into a pan, and stir in the condensed mincemeat. Bring the mixture to a boil over medium heat, stirring occasionally, and cook 1 minute at a rolling boil. Remove from the heat, and stir in the prunes, butter, raisins, walnuts, brown sugar, and salt. Combine the prune mixture with the yeast mixture in the mixing bowl. Gradually stir in the flour, 1 cup at a time, until well blended to make a moist dough. Turn out onto a floured board, and knead in any remaining flour to make 9 cups. Gather dough into a ball and place into greased bowl. Cover with a cloth, and place in a warm place until doubled in size, about 1 1/2 hours.
• Punch down dough, knead lightly on a floured board, and return to the bowl. Allow to rise again, about 1 hour.
• Turn dough out onto a floured board. Punch down and shape into 3 loaves. Place each loaf into a prepared loaf pan. Lightly grease tops of each loaf with1 teaspoon butter. Cover with a clean cloth, and allow to rise until doubled in size, about 1 hour.
• Preheat oven to 300 degrees F (150 degrees C).
• Bake in preheated oven for 1 hour. Lower heat to 250 degrees F (120 degrees C), and bake 1/2 hour more. Remove from pans, and cool on racks.

SCHNITZBRODT (GERMAN FRUIT BREAD)

Steps:

• Cover mixed dried fruit and apples with boiling water in saucepan and soak overnight.
• Next morning, cook until fruit is quite soft, about 15 minutes, then drain well in a colander.
• Chop or cut up fruit.
• Soften yeast in lukewarm water, add 1 Tbsp sugar and let stand 10 minutes.
• Add milk.
• Add 1 ½ C flour to make a sponge and set aside until bubbles break on top.
• Cream butter in a large mixing bowl.
• Add 1 C sugar and cream well.
• Mix in beaten eggs.
• Add the sponge, chopped fruits, salt, cinnamon, raisins, currants and nuts.
• Beat in 3 cups flour.
• Divide dough into fourths.
• Take out ¼ of the dough and knead on a floured pastry cloth or board adding enough flour to keep the dough soft but not sticky.
• Continue doing this 3 more times until all the dough has been worked up, then knead it all together.
• Lightly oil a clean bowl, take dough and run the top around the inside of the bowl, place it in the bowl, cover and let rise in a warm place until double in bulk.
• Knead lightly, divide into 4 portions and shape each into a loaf, place in greased loaf pans.
• Cover and let rise until double.
• Bake at 400° for 10 minutes, reduce heat to 350° and bake 45 minutes longer or until done.