The Weekly Grind - The Gifts of Christmas Baking
- lifebreadwellness
- Nov 28, 2025
- 2 min read
In the quiet rhythms of Christmas baking, there is something deeply satisfying in that the more memorable Christmas gifts are often handmade, freshly ground and full of festive flavour. Here at LIFE BREAD, we are bringing simple Christmas recipes that warms winter from the inside out.
Ground today, baked tonight, gone tomorrow!
From grain to gift, from your kitchen to their table!
Orange Cinnamon Cranberry Bread
Celebrate the season with the aroma and taste of this festive bread!
1 1/2 cups (250-375 ml) juice, pulp, rind (shred) of 2 oranges + water
1/3 cup (75 ml) extra virgin olive oil
1/3 cup (75 ml) honey
2 tsp (10 ml) Himalayan salt
4 - 4 1/2 cups (1-1.125 Litres ) freshly milled hard red wheat flour
1 tbsp (15ml) ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp (2ml) ground nutmeg
1 tbsp (15 ml) quick-rising (instant) yeast
1 cup (250 ml) dried cranberries
To bake a 2lb (1kg) loaf in a bread machine, remove the baking pan, insert the baking paddle(s), and follow the order listed in the recipe, beginning with the wet ingredients and ending with the flour. Using your fingers, make a small indent in the top of the flour and sprinkle yeast into the indentation; Scatter cranberries over the flour and yeast. Insert the baking pan into the bread machine and select the bake cycle.
TIPS - To bake a 1 lb loaf, simply ½ the recipe. The bread can be fully kneaded in the bread machine using the dough cycle, then shaped, rolled and baked in loaf pans or baking sheets as desired. Be creative! Enjoy!
Did you know???
Christmas breads have a long-standing tradition in many countries of the world, and certain ingredients and spices resonate with rich meanings and symbolism. CITRUS, especially oranges, have been associated with freshness and light.
Sicily& Italy: Oranges are numerous in winter --- Abundance
Europe: Oranges are a classic stocking stuffer --- Generosity
United Kingdom: An orange with a candle in the middle and a red ribbon is called a “Christingle.” The orange is the world, the candle is Christ as the light.
Scandinavia: Oranges are imported, and cloved oranges (pomanders) are a longstanding custom, bringing warmth and fragrance to winter. “Where cloves meet orange, joy finds the home,” is their folk saying.
