Christmas Wreath Bread: A Festive Sourdough Showstopper for Your Holiday Table

Last updated on December 22nd, 2025

When you’re looking for a holiday bread that looks impressive but doesn’t require professional baking skills, this Christmas Wreath Bread delivers on all fronts. The wreath shape instantly makes any table feel more festive, and the best part is you’re just shaping dough into a circle. No complicated braiding or fancy techniques required.

What makes this recipe special is the combination of sourdough and enriched dough. You get that signature tangy flavor from the starter, but the butter, eggs, and honey create a soft, tender crumb that stays fresh for days. The dried cranberries scattered throughout add pops of tartness and make every slice look festive.

Table of Contents

• Why Make Christmas Wreath Bread with Sourdough
• The Story Behind Wreath-Shaped Holiday Breads
• What Makes This Recipe Different
• Let's Make Christmas Wreath Bread with Sourdough
  • Ingredients
  • How to Make Christmas Wreath Bread
• Tips for Bread Baking
• Making Your Wreath More Festive
• Serving Suggestions
• Storage and Keeping it Fresh
• Variations to Try
• Making This Bread Part of Your Holiday Tradition

Why Make Christmas Wreath Bread with Sourdough

Using sourdough starter or discard in this recipe adds depth to the flavor that you just can’t get from commercial yeast alone. The slight tanginess complements the richness of butter and eggs, creating a bread that’s neither too heavy nor too plain.

Plus, if you’re maintaining a sourdough starter, this is a fantastic way to use up that discard that would otherwise go to waste.

This bread works for both breakfast and dinner. Serve it warm with butter and jam in the morning, or alongside a hearty soup or roast for your Christmas dinner. The texture stays soft for days, and it actually makes incredible French toast if you have leftovers.

The Story Behind Wreath-Shaped Holiday Breads

The wreath shape symbolizes eternal life and the continuous cycle of seasons, making it particularly meaningful during winter celebrations. In many European countries, sweet and savory ring-shaped breads appear on tables throughout December.

This recipe draws inspiration from those traditions while incorporating the sourdough techniques that have become so popular in home baking. The result is a bread that feels both timeless and modern, rustic yet refined.

What Makes This Recipe Different

Most wreath bread recipes rely entirely on commercial yeast, which means you get a faster rise but miss out on the complex flavors that sourdough fermentation provides.

This recipe uses your sourdough starter or discard as the base, supplemented with just a small amount of instant yeast to ensure reliable results even if your starter isn’t super active.

The dough itself is enriched with butter, eggs, and a touch of honey, making it tender and slightly sweet without being cake-like. The cranberries add little bursts of tartness throughout and make the bread look even more festive when you slice into it.

This bread is forgiving. The simple ring shape is much easier than braiding, and even if your circle isn’t geometrically perfect, it will still look homemade and beautiful. That’s part of its charm.

Let’s Make Christmas Wreath Bread with Sourdough

Ingredients

For the Dough:

• 1 cup (240g) active sourdough starter or discard, at room temperature
• 3/4 cup (180ml) whole milk, warmed to about 100°F
• 1/3 cup (75g) unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled
• 1/4 cup (60ml) honey
• 2 large eggs, room temperature
• 4 cups (500g) bread flour, plus more for dusting
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1 1/2 teaspoons instant yeast
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract (optional, but adds nice flavor)
• 3/4 cup (90g) dried cranberries

For the Egg Wash:

• 1 egg
• 1 tablespoon milk or water
• Pinch of salt

Optional Add-ins (choose one or combine):

• 1/2 cup chopped pecans or walnuts
• 2 teaspoons orange zest
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/4 cup pearl sugar for topping

How to Make Christmas Wreath Bread

1. Mix the wet ingredients. In a large mixing bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the sourdough starter, warm milk, melted butter, honey, eggs, and vanilla if using. Whisk together until everything is well incorporated. The mixture might look a bit separated, but that’s normal.
2. Add the dry ingredients. Add the bread flour, salt, and instant yeast to the bowl. If you’re using a stand mixer, attach the dough hook and mix on low speed until the dough comes together, about 2-3 minutes. If mixing by hand, stir with a wooden spoon until a shaggy dough forms, then turn it out onto a lightly floured surface.
3. Knead the dough. Knead for about 8-10 minutes by machine or 12-15 minutes by hand. The dough should become smooth, elastic, and slightly tacky but not sticky. If it’s too wet, add flour one tablespoon at a time. If it’s too dry, add water a teaspoon at a time.
4. Add the cranberries. Once your dough is smooth and elastic, add the dried cranberries. Knead them in gently until they’re evenly distributed throughout the dough. Some cranberries might pop out during kneading, just poke them back in.
5. First rise. Place the dough in a lightly oiled bowl, turning it to coat all sides. Cover with a damp tea towel or plastic wrap. Let it rise in a warm spot until doubled in size, about 2-3 hours depending on the temperature of your kitchen and the activity of your starter.
6. Prepare your baking sheet. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. You can place a small oven-safe ramekin or bowl (about 3-4 inches in diameter) in the center of the baking sheet to help shape the wreath around, but this is optional. If you use one, remember to remove it before baking.
7. Shape the wreath. Punch down the dough and turn it out onto a lightly floured surface. Shape the dough into a ball, then poke your finger through the center to create a hole. Gently stretch and work the dough into a ring shape, making the hole in the center larger until it’s about 4-5 inches in diameter. The ring itself should be fairly even in thickness all the way around, about 3-4 inches wide. Transfer carefully to your prepared baking sheet.
8. Second rise. Cover the shaped wreath loosely with a tea towel and let it rise for another 45-60 minutes. It should look puffy and slightly grown, but it won’t quite double in size during this rise.
9. Preheat your oven. About 20 minutes before you plan to bake, preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C).
10. Apply egg wash. Whisk together the egg, milk or water, and pinch of salt. Gently brush this mixture all over the surface of the wreath. This will give it a beautiful golden-brown shine when baked. If you’re using pearl sugar or other toppings, sprinkle them on now.
11. Bake the bread. Bake for 28-32 minutes, until the wreath is deep golden brown and sounds hollow when tapped on the bottom. If you have an instant-read thermometer, the internal temperature should read about 190°F. Watch it during the last 10 minutes, as enriched doughs can brown quickly.
12. Cool and serve. Transfer the wreath to a wire cooling rack. Let it cool for at least 15 minutes before slicing. The bread is delicious warm, but it’s easier to slice cleanly once it’s cooled a bit more.

Tips for Bread Baking

Use room temperature ingredients. This helps the dough come together more easily and ensures even mixing. Take your eggs out of the fridge about an hour before you start baking.

Don’t rush the rises. Sourdough needs time to develop flavor. If your kitchen is cold, the rises will take longer, and that’s fine. You can even do the first rise in the refrigerator overnight if that fits your schedule better.

Adjust flour as needed. Different flours absorb liquid differently, and sourdough starters vary in hydration. Start with the amount listed and add more flour or water as needed to get a soft, slightly tacky dough.

Make the center hole bigger than you think. The dough will puff up during the second rise and baking, which can close up your center hole if you don’t make it large enough initially. Aim for 4-5 inches when you shape it.

Check for doneness. Enriched doughs like this one can brown quickly on the outside while still being underdone inside. If your wreath is browning too fast, tent it loosely with aluminum foil for the last 10 minutes of baking.

Make ahead option. You can shape the wreath and let it do its second rise in the refrigerator overnight. In the morning, let it sit at room temperature for about 30 minutes while your oven preheats, then egg wash and bake as directed.

Cranberry substitutions. If you can’t find dried cranberries or want to switch things up, dried cherries work beautifully. You could also use a mix of dried cranberries and golden raisins, or leave the fruit out entirely for a plain version.

Making Your Wreath More Festive

While the cranberries already give this bread a holiday look, there are plenty of ways to dress it up even more:

Fresh herbs and berries. After baking, tuck small sprigs of fresh rosemary and fresh cranberries (not dried) into the top of the wreath. This gives you that classic Christmas wreath look and adds a lovely fragrance. Just remind guests to remove the fresh cranberries before eating since they’re quite tart raw.

Pearl sugar or coarse sugar. Sprinkle this over the egg wash before baking for a sparkly, snow-kissed appearance. The sugar catches the light beautifully and adds a nice crunch.

Icing drizzle. Mix 1 cup powdered sugar with 2-3 tablespoons of milk or orange juice to create a thin icing. Drizzle it over the cooled bread in a zigzag pattern using a spoon or piping bag. The white icing looks like snow and adds extra sweetness.

Candied fruit and nuts. Press slivered almonds, candied orange peel, or chopped pecans into the top of the wreath after applying the egg wash. These will bake right into the surface and add texture.

Cinnamon sugar coating. Before the second rise, brush the shaped wreath with melted butter and sprinkle generously with cinnamon sugar. This creates a sweet, spiced crust that caramelizes slightly during baking.

Natural wreath elements. After baking and cooling, create a centerpiece by placing the wreath on a large platter surrounded by pine branches, cinnamon sticks, whole star anise, and tea lights in small holders. Never place lit candles directly touching the bread, but arranging them around it creates a gorgeous holiday display.

Festive ribbon. Once cooled, you can weave a wide festive ribbon through the center hole or tie a bow on top. Use food-safe ribbon or make sure to remove it before anyone eats the bread.

Serving Suggestions

This bread shines as a centerpiece on your holiday table.

• Place it on a large wooden cutting board or festive platter and let guests tear off pieces.
• Set out small dishes of butter, cream cheese, or honey butter nearby.

For Christmas breakfast, toast slices and serve with scrambled eggs and bacon. The slight sweetness of the bread and the tart cranberries pair wonderfully with savory breakfast foods.

Make it into French toast by soaking thick slices in an egg mixture with a little cinnamon and vanilla. The cranberries become jammy and delicious when cooked this way.

Serve it alongside your Christmas dinner as you would dinner rolls. The hint of sweetness and the cranberries complement turkey, ham, or roast beef beautifully.

Turn leftover slices into bread pudding. The enriched dough and fruit make for an incredible dessert when baked with custard and topped with whipped cream.

Storage and Keeping it Fresh

Store the cooled bread in an airtight container or wrap it well in plastic wrap. It will stay fresh at room temperature for 3-4 days. The sourdough helps it maintain moisture longer than breads made with just commercial yeast.

To freeze, wrap the completely cooled wreath tightly in plastic wrap, then again in aluminum foil. Freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature for several hours or overnight in the refrigerator.

Refresh leftover bread by warming slices in a 300°F oven for 5-7 minutes. This brings back some of that fresh-baked texture and aroma. You can also microwave individual slices for 15-20 seconds.

Variations to Try

Once you’ve mastered the basic recipe, there are endless ways to customize it:

Savory herb version. Leave out the cranberries and honey. Add 2 tablespoons of chopped fresh rosemary and 1/2 cup grated Parmesan to the dough. Brush with olive oil instead of egg wash and sprinkle with coarse sea salt before baking.

Orange cranberry. Add the zest of one orange to the dough along with the cranberries. The citrus brightens everything up and pairs beautifully with the tart fruit.

Chocolate chip. Swap the cranberries for chocolate chips. This turns the bread into more of a dessert, and it’s always a crowd-pleaser.

Spiced version. Add 1 teaspoon cinnamon, 1/2 teaspoon cardamom, and 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg to the dough. This creates a warmly spiced bread reminiscent of mulled wine.

Nut and cranberry. Add 1/2 cup chopped pecans or walnuts along with the cranberries for extra texture and richness.

Making This Bread Part of Your Holiday Tradition

This recipe is designed to be approachable, no matter how many baking attempts you’ve tried. If you can make basic bread dough, you can make this wreath. The shaping is straightforward, and the sourdough component is flexible enough to work with either active starter or discard that’s been sitting in your fridge.

So pull out that sourdough starter, clear some counter space, and give this Christmas Wreath Bread a try. Your holiday table deserves something this good.