Easy Christmas Tree Bread Recipe (2024)

FAQs

How to score sourdough Christmas tree? ›

Use a piece of dental floss or string to mark out a tall triangle that will form the main part of your Christmas Tree. Then, use a large kitchen knife to cut the two sides of the dough away to form the triangle. Then cut the bottom of the loaf to form the stump of the tree.

Cut 0.5 to 1 inch off the base of the tree right before you put it in the tree stand to help the tree resume water uptake (Photo 2). After trees are cut at the farm, the cut end will begin to dry out and resin can clog the water conducting tissues in the trunk.

Check the height

If your tree is too tall for the room, you can trim the base of the trunk using a saw (do this outside beforehand), or the top of the tree using secateurs. Start by pruning a little at a time to avoid taking off too much length.

Score directly from the refrigerator - cold dough is much easier to score, and the contrast in temperature will help with the dough rise even higher. Use a specialized tool - even the sharpest bread paring knife won't have an edge that can neatly cut through wet dough.

Number of baubles: (17 x pi) then multiply by tree hight in cm. Length of lights in cm: pi multiplied by tree hight in cm. Height of star in cm: tree height in cm divided by 10.

What if I forgot to make a fresh cut off the base of the tree before setting it up? If a fresh cut was not made the tree will still take up water, but at a reduced rate.

Do not add molasses, sugar, soft drinks, aspirin, or commercial products to the water. Additives provide no real benefit. The keys to keeping a Christmas tree fresh are to place the tree away from any heat source (fireplace, heater, radiator, etc.) and keep the tree reservoir full of water.

Once you've got it home, keep your Christmas tree outside in a sheltered area, preferably standing in water, until you are ready to bring it indoors. Prepare the base of your tree using a handsaw. Cut about a half inch to an inch (1.3cm-2.5cm) off the bottom to aid water absorption.

Having the right tool makes it very easy to cut your own Christmas tree. If permitted at the site, a cordless chainsaw is ideal because it is easy to transport, easy to start and has more than enough power to take down a standard fir. We recommend the lightweight MSA 140 C-BQ cordless chainsaw.

Make the cut perpendicular to the stem axis. Don't cut the trunk at an angle, or into a v-shape, which makes it far more difficult to hold the tree in the stand and also reduces the amount of water available to the tree.

Does hot water help a Christmas tree last longer? ›

So how do you keep your tree fresh? There's an old wives tale that putting hot or warm water in the Christmas tree stand makes it last longer. But if you ask the National Christmas Tree Association, that doesn't make a difference. They say the real game changer is a fresh cut.

Replanting a Christmas tree

To plant, you simply need to dig a hole in an appropriate spot, around two to three times larger than the rootball of the tree, add in some Tree Soil Improver for boosted health and vitality, plant the tree and back fill gently.

Star tree toppers or angels are traditionally the most popular, but there are lots of alternative designs to choose from, including personalised designs, or you could make your own topper.

Andersen points out that some people swear by commercial Christmas tree preservatives, which can be mixed into the water in the stand. Others have said that they've had success by mixing a tablespoon of corn syrup or sugar into the water as a food source for the tree. Some people even add aspirin to the water.

Using a lame or razor, score dough with artistic scores around 1/4 inch deep. You can use a variety of patterns and shapes (see the sourdough scoring designs below). Add at least one expansion score. Place scored sourdough right into a hot dutch oven with a lid and place in the oven to bake according to the directions.

The needles should stay on the tree. Alternatively, gently tap the cut end of a tree on the ground; if a few needles fall off, it should be fine. If a lot of needles fall off, keep searching for a different tree. Some types of Christmas trees will go from deep, rich green to a dull gray-green if they get too dried out.

A bread lame is a razor encased within a piece of wood. This is the tool that bakers use to score their sourdough loaves. I have a few bread lames that I would recommend from Wiremonkey: UFO Corbeau, Poco, and Arc bread lame. My first purchase was the UFO Corbeau which I love and my second purchase was the Poco.

It is difficult to score very soft dough or dough at room temperature. Make sure your blade is as sharp as possible and try one very quick stroke. Sometimes this is just not possible. Some bakers will put their loaves in the freezer for about 20 minutes before scoring to firm up the dough.