We are officially in the heart of the holiday season, when Minnesota is merry and bright with blustering temperatures and an abundance of twinkle lights. One of the best ways to embrace the beauty of the season is to dig deep into sweet, sweet carb loading.
Holiday breads are a common tradition for many European countries, often found on early-morning tables for families that celebrate Christmas. Warm spices like cardamom and cinnamon mingle with yeast, sugar and sweet, dried fruit. Whether you grew up with these baking traditions, or simply want something sweet to tear into, these are the local bakeries we trust to bake up gorgeous breads for the holiday season.
Cardamom pulla at Aki’s BreadHaus
This shiny, braided loaf is the perfect balance of sweet and that heady spice of freshly ground cardamom. Being a German bakery, there are also several other holiday-specific offerings stocked daily. But this pulla is a standout for its bold abundance of cardamom and just the right amount of sugar on top. Plus, the enriched dough is tender, fluffy and just begging to be eaten immediately, smeared with butter or saved for tomorrow’s French toast.
$6.50, 1712 Marshall St. NE., Mpls., akisbreadhaus.com
Potica coffee cake at Diamond City Bread
This labor-intensive Slovenian bread is traditionally made by rolling thin layers of bread around filling. Our holiday standard was always a mix of cinnamon, sugar and walnuts, perfect for pairing with a cup of egg coffee. Diamond City Bread takes the treat one step further by incorporating all those flavors into a coffee cake. Baked fresh daily, they’re available in the shop or by special order.
(Bonus tip: if you’d like just a slice, order it off the dessert menu ($13) at Iron Ranger in St. Paul)
$22, 315 Jackson Av. NW., Elk River, dcbread.com
Stollen at Rose Street Patisserie/Patisserie 46
Chef/co-owner John Kraus always brings the baking fun during holidays, but his two shops really pull out all the stops in December. From buche de noels to thick gingerbread cookies, a host of sugar-dusted menu items are available to tempt visitors — including the stollen. Presented like a work of yeasted art, buried in a snowfall of powdered sugar, these loaves are seasoned with warm spices and just a little bit of kirsch. Available by special order online.
