White Chocolate and Cranberry Saffron Braid
This white chocolate and cranberry saffron braid is a festive, aromatic bread that makes a gorgeous Christmas treat. Soft, slightly dense, and packed with flavour, it combines the warmth of saffron with the tartness of cranberries and the creamy sweetness of white chocolate.
While it looks perfect on a holiday table, it’s so delicious you’ll want to enjoy it any time of year.
White chocolate and cranberry saffron braid
The dough is enriched with golden saffron, giving it a fragrant, subtly sweet warmth, while the filling combines tart fresh cranberries and chunks of white chocolate that melt into creamy pockets as it bakes.
The braid isn’t just a treat for the taste buds; it’s visually stunning too. The criss-crossed layers of dough over the filling create a striking, festive look that makes it perfect for Christmas morning, holiday brunch, or any special occasion. Even though it’s traditionally associated with festive flavours, it’s a bread you’ll want to enjoy long after the decorations come down.
Although cutting into warm bread is generally frowned upon (it can turn gummy), this loaf simply begged to be tasted straight from the oven. Warm, fragrant, slightly dense bread with tart jam and gooey chocolate. Unreal.
The braid was rather large and a little difficult to handle. Because of this, you might want to divide the dough into two, and have two braids. My finished braid was generous, slicing into at least 15 pieces.
The recipe is easily adaptable to use either spelt flour or regular flour.
Saffron: A Swedish Christmas tradition
Inspired by the classic Swedish lussebullar made for St Lucia, this braid takes festive bread to the next level. In Sweden, saffron produces baked goods with a golden colour and fragrant aroma that are the hallmark of holiday baking. Families across Sweden carefully fold it into their dough as the days shorten and winter takes hold, filling their homes with that unmistakable, aromatic scent.
Saffron gives bread a warm, slightly floral sweetness that instantly evokes the festive season. It’s one of the most expensive spices in the world, which makes its use in holiday baking feel extra special. Just a tiny pinch transforms simple dough into something luxurious and celebratory.
Even beyond the holidays, saffron adds a unique, golden richness to breads, making it a treat worth enjoying any time you want something a little special. Its bright, warm flavour pairs beautifully with sweet, tart, or nutty fillings, giving this braid a festive charm that’s hard to resist.
Making the cranberry jam
The cranberry filling couldn’t be simpler. I decided to add the cranberries purely because I had some fresh left over after making my white chocolate and mascarpone cheesecake.
Add fresh or frozen cranberries to a small pan with a spoonful of sugar and a little water, then heat until the berries start to pop and soften. Once they’ve broken down, blend or mash them until smooth (a few small lumps are fine). The result is a quick, slightly tart jam that pairs beautifully with the sweet saffron dough.
If you prefer to save time, you can also use store-bought cranberry jam or sauce. Just make sure it isn’t too runny. It should be thick enough to spread easily without seeping into the dough.
A festive filling of white chocolate and cranberries
The concept of saffron and white chocolate is not a new one to me. I made some soft saffron and white chocolate buns a few years ago, and they were a big hit.
The filling combines tart cranberries with creamy white chocolate, creating a lovely balance of flavour. As the bread bakes, the chocolate melts into soft, sweet pockets, while the cranberries add just enough sharpness to keep it fresh. Their tang pairs beautifully with the warm saffron dough, while the white chocolate brings smooth sweetness and a hint of indulgence. The result is festive, balanced, and perfect for Christmas.
Although cranberries and chocolate work beautifully for the holidays, you can easily switch up the ingredients:
- Swap the cranberry jam for raspberry, strawberry, or lingonberry.
- Use dark chocolate instead of white for a richer flavour.
- Add a spoonful of Nutella with some chopped hazelnuts.
- Try almonds or pecans, either in the filling or sprinkled on top before baking.
It’s an easy recipe to adapt with whatever you have on hand.
How to make the braid
Once the dough has doubled in size, it’s ready to shape. Lightly flour your surface and roll the dough into a large rectangle: It doesn’t need to be perfect, but try to keep the thickness even so it bakes uniformly.
Down the centre strip of the dough, spread your cranberry jam, keeping a small border clear on each side. Then scatter the white chocolate chunks evenly over the jam. It’s best to keep them in a single layer so they melt nicely without clumping.
Next, use a sharp knife to cut diagonal strips along both sides of the filling. Starting at one end, gently fold the strips over the centre, alternating from left to right to create a criss-cross braid pattern. When you reach the ends, tuck them underneath to seal everything in neatly.
Carefully transfer the braid to a lined baking tray. It can be a little tricky to move, so using a wide spatula or rolling it gently onto the tray helps. Brush the top generously with beaten egg, then bake until golden and fragrant, around 15 minutes.
Leave it to cool for about half an hour before sprinkling over some icing sugar. The result is a glossy, golden braid with pockets of melted white chocolate and bright streaks of cranberry. Gorgeous to look at and even better to eat.
Keeping your saffron braid fresh
While nothing compares to this braid straight from the oven, it’s unlikely you’ll finish it all in one sitting. Spelt bread, in particular, tends to stale a little faster than bread made with regular flour, and saffron can make it dry out even more quickly.
The good news is that it’s easy to freshen up. A quick 20 seconds in the microwave is all it takes to make the chocolate gooey again and the bread soft and fragrant, just like when it first came out of the oven.
This braid also freezes beautifully. Once it has completely cooled, slice it up and freeze the pieces in an airtight container or freezer bag. I always wrap each slice individually, so it is so easy just to take out a piece (or two) when the mood strikes.
White Chocolate and Cranberry Saffron Braid
Ingredients
Dough:
- 50g (3½ tbsp) butter
- ½ gram (¼ tsp) ground saffron
- 200ml (⅘ cup) milk
- 1 egg
- 7g (2¼ tsp) dried yeast (see note 1)
- 100g (½ cup) sugar
- 300-450g (2½ cups - 3¾ cups) spelt flour (see note 2)
Cranberry Jam:
- 65g (2¾ oz) fresh cranberries (see note 3)
- 1 tbsp sugar
- 1 tbsp water
Remaining ingredients:
- 150g (5¼ oz) white chocolate (cut into chunks)
- 1 egg (for the egg wash)
- icing sugar (for sprinkling)
Instructions
- Heat the butter in a pan.
- When melted, add the saffron, stir, and allow the mixture to cook for a couple of minutes.
- Remove from the heat, and stir in the milk. Allow to sit for around 15 minutes.
- Add the cooled mixture and the egg to your stand mixer, and give it a quick mix (see note 4).
- Add the remaining ingredients and 300g (2½ cups) of flour and start to mix.
- Gradually add more flour as needed (one tablespoon at a time). Be careful with this step, as too much flour will result in dry bread.
- The dough has had enough flour when it still feels sticky, but most of it comes off the attachment when you pull it.
- Switch to a dough hook attachment (if you have one) and knead the dough for around 5-7 minutes. When ready, the dough will have formed into more of a ball, should be shiny, elastic and drop fairly easily from the hook.
- Cover with a tea-towel and allow the dough to proof in a warm place for around an hour (or until doubled in size).
Cranberry Jam:
- Add all three ingredients to a pan and heat them until the cranberries start to pop and soften.
- Blitz them in a food processor until fairly smooth (lumps are okay). Set to one side.
Assembly:
- When the dough is ready, line a large baking tray with baking paper and pre-heat the oven to 190℃ (374℉).
- On a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough into a large rectangle shape. It doesn't matter too much about specifics, but make sure your dough is fairly thin and has an even thickness throughout (see note 5)
- Down the centre of the rolled out dough, spread your cranberry jam.
- Next, cover the jam with chocolate chunks, making sure to keep them in one layer (not on top of each other) so that they can melt.
- Cut strips, slightly diagonally, down either side of the jam/chocolate.
- Carefully, alternating between one side and the next, place each strip over the jam/chocolate in a criss-cross pattern. Tuck both ends underneath themselves.
- When ready, carefully move onto the prepared baking tray.
- Beat the egg and liberally wash over the dough.
- Bake for around 15 minutes, until the bread is golden (don't over-bake it).
- Leave to cool for around 30 minutes and then sprinkle with icing sugar. Slice and eat it immediately. Enjoy!
Notes
- In Sweden we have something called dried yeast, which is used either in warm liquid or added directly to flour. In the US, there are two types of dried yeast, and I believe instant yeast is the most similar for this type of bread.
- You can use spelt or regular flour for this recipe (just use the same amount).
- I used fresh cranberries, but you can use frozen. Just follow the same instructions. I used only 65g, which I felt was perfect. However, if you like cranberries, use a little more.
- I have made the dough using a stand mixer, but you could prepare the dough without one (just follow exactly the same instructions).
- You might want to divide the dough into two, and have two braids. My braid was very large and quite difficult to handle!
